


Cordiality

by Larstian



Series: Comfort in Words [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Boggarts, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Compliant, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mutual Pining, Quidditch, Sharing a Bed, Theres a tiiiny bit of angst but I swear it’s mostly fluff, Well it’s really more of idiots to lovers but
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:01:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 33,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23643532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Larstian/pseuds/Larstian
Summary: Cordiality(Noun.)1. The state of beingCordial;courteous and gracious; friendly; warm2. Invigorating the heart; stimulating3. Sincere; heartfelt4.Archaic.of or relating to the heart━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━He would really need to practice on controlling himself if he wanted any chance of getting through the school year without accidentally blurting out his feelings for his best friend.But, if Albus kept smiling at him like that, soft and full of happiness, Scorpius knew it would be a lost cause.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Or: the one in which Scorpius and Albus get together.
Relationships: Scorpius Malfoy/Albus Severus Potter
Series: Comfort in Words [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1705180
Comments: 77
Kudos: 203





	1. My very good friend

_He falls to the floor, body shaking in pain, so reminiscent of the time he was hit by the Cruciatus, besides a still body that he would recognize anywhere, wounded or not._

_He scrambles to his knees, his wand still raised against an unknown threat as he brings Albus’ head into his lap. He’s conscious, aware, but he has no control over his body. There’s blood on his own hands, coming from Albus, and he almost cries._

_They aren’t alone. He can hear people moving, dueling in the castle around them. At the end of the hall, he can make out a dark figure moving closer. His head throbs in pain, his vision so hazy he can’t make out the figure’s face._

_Please be help. Please be help._

_In the fog of Scorpius’ mind and the growing darkness of the corridor, he looks like a dementor himself._

_What happened? Where were they?_

_Albus still doesn’t move, but Scorpius can make out the slight rising of his chest, and he revels in the relief for as long as he can._

_Albus is alive.  
_

_Everything is okay as long as Albus is alive._

_He tries to drag Albus backward, away from the approaching figure, but he’s too weak to pull them both backward._

_He could try to save himself, but that was a fate worse than death.  
_

_He’d stay, protect Albus with his life if he had to, but he wouldn’t leave Albus alone._

_He tries to yell for help, but his pitiful cries drown in the screams and cracks of ricocheting spells that echo through the castle.  
_

_When had things gone so wrong?_

_Scorpius holds out his wand, but he wavers as the dark figure moves ever closer._

_The wound on his head stings, and his vision is far from clear, but now he could make out other shapes following the figure.  
_

_Real dementors, inside the castle._

_Scorpius’ head aches as he tries to understand why._

_He can feel the dementors closing in, the overwhelming depression and fear attacking his very will to live. Distantly, his mother calls. He can almost envision the other world’s Ron and Hermione dying again as the floating robes edge closer. It was so much worse than he remembered it. Every bad memory, every tear he’s ever shed, and every harsh word thrown at him over the years drowns him in a flood of pain._

_There’s screaming, crying, pleading not to die, all in his head and with enough force to drive anyone mad._

_Voldemort’s son. Voldemort’s good for nothing, pathetic excuse of a son._

_He shivers, clutching Albus’ unmoving body closer, a needed reminder that there is still_ **_something_ ** _worth living for, if nothing more than just for a few more minutes._

_He opens his mouth, and two quick words and every memory he’s made so carefully with Albus, his beautiful Albus that he’s so determined to save, is all he needs for a blue mist to burst forth from his wand._

_The silvery light is blinding and does its job excellently. The last thing Scorpius sees is the large wings of a bird, a kind he can’t distinctively make out in the mess of magic, soaring at the figure as against him, Albus stirs._

—

Scorpius shot up, his breathing forced and ragged and heart racing as he took in the dark room before him. His bedroom, where he had fallen asleep and woken up every day for the last two months. Not a dark hallway deep in Hogwarts castle and no dementors in sight. He was safe. 

It had been a dream. It wasn’t completely fictitious, that much he was certain of, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that it had been so much more than just another nightmare, even now as the dream drifted further away from his mind. He had never been much good at divination, despite his proficiency at astronomy, but the dream was so lifelike, so unlike the nightmares that had plagued him for years in his sleep, that he felt like it had to be _something_ more than just a dream. 

He almost fell off his bed in his haste to write what he had seen down before its memory completely faded, but as he sat at his desk, desperately searching through the mess of books and paper, the further away the dream strayed from his mind, and as he finally found a piece of parchment and a quill, he found himself struggling to recall any of the details that had been so clear in his mind just minutes before. 

His eyes felt heavy as he tapped the quill against the parchment in frustration, growing more exhausted as he tried so desperately to remember his dream. 

All he wrote down was _Wings_ before sleep had overtaken him once again. 

— 

King’s Cross Station was as crowded as ever, witches and wizards of all ages bustling about as they reconnected with old friends and wished goodbye to their loved ones. For once, the noise and utter chaos of the station didn’t worry Scorpius. Even the lingering stares and frowns from strangers weren’t able to dampen his mood as he pushed through the crowd in search of Albus. 

He could hear his disgruntled father calling out for him as he raced ahead, but he was too giddy with excitement to slow down. 

The Granger-Weasley-Potter group was easy to make out amidst the crowd; intentional or not, a special spot at the end of the station was always reserved for them, and at the edge of the group, away from everyone else, had always stood Albus. This year was different. Standing awkwardly between to his bickering siblings, he searched through the crowd. His face lit up as he spotted Scorpius rushing towards him. 

As soon as Scorpius had gotten near enough, Albus practically flung himself at him. Scorpius smiled as he wrapped his arms around his best friend. He took a deep breath, breathing in the soft, familiar smell of Pepper-Imps and potion smoke, the smell of home. Hugging had quickly become part of their new normal, their Scorpius and Albus 2.0, but every time he found himself on the receiving end of an Albus-hug, it still filled Scorpius with the same fresh excitement as the year before. Nothing was better than an Albus-hug. 

“Still a thing we do now?” Scorpius teased as they pulled apart. 

“Of course,” Albus grinned, before the shining silver badge on Scorpius’ robes caught his attention. “You made prefect?”

Scorpius nodded, and he couldn’t stop himself from smiling proudly as Albus admired the badge. “That surprised?” 

“No,” Albus shook his head, “of course Mr. Future-Head-Boy is a prefect. Just surprised you hadn’t mentioned it in a letter is all.” 

Scorpius shrugged. He hadn’t wanted to spoil the surprise in advance. He had only known for a few weeks anyway.

Albus pulled him in for another hug, which Scorpius happily returned. 

“Scorpius, don’t run off like that again.”

Despite Draco’s petulant tone, Scorpius could see the fondness in his eyes as he walked over to the boys. 

“Sorry, Dad,” Scorpius said sheepishly as he reluctantly stepped away from Albus to take his trolley back from his father. 

“Hello, Mr. Malfoy,” said Albus, and Scorpius couldn’t help but snort. 

“You _can_ call me Draco, Albus, you know,” Draco reminded him, and despite Albus’ nod, they all knew it would be back to ‘Mr. Malfoy’ the next time they all met. 

Despite his several trips to the manor that summer and being practically welcomed as a second son by Scorpius’ father—he’d even witnessed Draco Malfoy in his fancy silk pajamas (possibly the least intimidating sight on the planet, if you asked Scorpius) after he and Scorpius had caused an accidental oven fire in the middle of the night that had woken Draco up in a cold panic—Albus was still adamant in his refusal to drop any formalities with his best friend’s father. 

Thankfully, Ginny stepped in and whisked Draco away, saving them all from having to make awkward small talk and enduring another one of his father’s long lectures about the importance of studying for their O.W.Ls as they waited for the first boarding call. 

Finally tearing herself away from her heated argument with James, Lily noticed that her brother wasn’t alone anymore.

“Scorpius!” she cried, and he nearly fell to the ground as she pulled him into a fierce hug. 

“It’s nice to see you, Lily,” Scorpius said as he hugged her back. A hug from each of his favorite Potter siblings, he really was lucky. 

She laughed. “You’re always so formal, it’s adorable.” Albus rolled his eyes, but Lily paid him no mind as she grabbed the cage of Scorpius’ Pygmy Puff, Tilda, from the top of his trolley. 

“Arny missed Tilda after you left, Scorpius. He threw up last week he was so upset,” Lily cooed as she pet the pink Puff from outside of her cage. 

She and Scorpius had both chosen to adopt matching Pygmy Puffs over the summer—something both James and Albus had teased them mercilessly about—until Ginny had finally allowed James to adopt a toad and he’d become worse than both Scorpius and Lily combined, and all the coddling jokes had been turned on him. 

“Oh no, is he okay?” Scorpius asked in concern as he looked over at Lily’s stuff, trying to make out the purple Pygmy’s cage among the mess of things that had been haphazardly thrown atop a trolley. 

Albus scoffed. “He’s a Pygmy Puff, Scor, he's fine.” 

“Shut up, Albus.” Lily elbowed her brother in the side. She smiled warmly at Scorpius as Albus doubled over. “He’s fine now, he’s just sleeping. But I’m sure he’ll be overjoyed to play with Tilda once he wakes up.” 

Scorpius smiled, as happy as ever to gush about his Pygmy Puff, but the piercing whistle of the Hogwarts Express interrupted. 

Thankful for an excuse to get away, Albus tugged on Scorpius’ sleeve.

“Come on, we have to go board now, Scor. Sorry, Lily, we’ll talk later, _bye_ ,” he said quickly as he pulled Scorpius away, nearly making him trip over his trolly. 

“Bye, Lily!” Scorpius called over his shoulder as Albus dragged him away. She laughed and waved back at the pair as they walked away. 

“Wait.” Scorpius stopped in his tracks. He shot Albus an apologetic smile before he ran back to his dad, who was animatedly debating Quidditch with Albus’ mother. He all but threw himself at his father. 

Draco stumbled back, nearly falling into Ginny, but before Scorpius could pull away to apologize, Draco wrapped his arms around his son and hugged him back just as strongly.

“Goodbye, Scorpius. I’ll see you at Christmas.”

“I’ll write to you every day,” Scorpius promised as he hugged his dad tighter. 

In the midst of the chaotic aftermath of their fourth year, at least one good thing had emerged (two, counting frequent Albus-hugs). The close bond that had formed between Scorpius and his father after they had returned to the present could almost rival their relationship before Astoria’s passing, and Scorpius was all too happy to have the father of his childhood back. 

Draco hummed in amusement. “I don’t doubt you will.” He pressed a quick kiss to the top of Scorpius’ head before pulling away. “Don’t forget to study for your O.W.Ls.” 

Scorpius was certain he must have looked daft with how hard he was smiling. “I will. Bye, Dad!” he called before walking back to a pleased-looking Albus. 

The best part of being unpopular—and slightly feared, after last year, though Scorpius was doing his best to ignore anything about their fourth year completely—was their secluded and, most importantly, _empty_ train car at the back of the Hogwarts Express. 

“What was that about?” Scorpius asked as they walked to their compartment. 

Albus raised an eyebrow. “What?”

Scorpius sighed, but couldn’t repress a fond smile. He had visited the Potter’s only two weeks prior, but he’d still missed his friend dearly in the time they were apart. “You were snappy with Lily, more so than normal.” 

“Sorry, I know you and Lily are friends now, but I’m just sick of my siblings right now,” Albus said as he opened the door to their compartment. “James hasn’t shut up about being made Head Boy since he got the stupid letter, and Lily’s practically talked my ear off about _everything,_ and I’d just really like some us-time right now to recuperate.” 

Scorpius tried to ignore the stupid skip of his heart, overjoyed that not only was his, frankly, overbearing presence not annoying to Albus, but at the thrill of Albus referring to their boring reading sessions on the train as ‘us-time.’

He’d really need to practice controlling himself if he wanted any chance of getting through the school year without accidentally blurting out his feelings for his best friend. 

But if Albus kept smiling at him like that, so soft and full of happiness, he knew it was going to be a lost cause. 

“I’m sorry, Albus, I have to go to a prefect meeting. It shouldn’t take too long though, I’m sure I’ll have time to come back here and relax afterward.” 

Albus shrugged. “I figured.” He held up a book he’d taken from Scorpius’ bag. “Don’t worry, I’ll find a way to keep myself occupied.” 

“I’m still really sorry,” Scorpius insisted. 

Albus rolled his eyes in that fondly exasperated, Albus-y way that Scorpius loved so much. 

“It’s really not your fault, and I know how much being a prefect means to you. I’m happy to wait a couple hours here while you…do whatever it is that prefects do.” Albus flipped open to the first page of the book before quickly looking back up, eyes narrowed. “Just please tell me if anyone tries to hurt you—I’ll set them straight.” 

Scorpius’ smile dropped. “Please don’t make me take points away from our own house before school starts.”

“ _I_ wouldn’t be making you do anything.” 

_“Albus_!”

Albus shrugged. He didn’t look guilty in the slightest. “Would be worth it, though.” 

“No, Al, it would not.” 

“Agree to disagree,” Albus said simply as he looked down at the book. A detailed account of colonial witch hunts by one of the wizarding world’s most reputable historians, it was one of Scorpius’ favorites. He knew it’d only take five minutes before Albus abandoned it. He sighed in exasperation. 

Below them, the Hogwarts Express slowly chugged to life. Scorpius looked out the window to search the crowd one last time for the tell-tale platinum hair of his father and beamed in delight—when he saw him deep in conversation with Harry. He watched the exchange happily until the train left the station, pulling them forward yet again into another—hopefully, less _disastrous_ — school year. 

“Bye, Albus, try not to start any duels while I’m gone.” He paused at the door. “Or fistfights.”

Albus groaned. 

Scorpius shot him one last look of fake sternness before he set out for the prefect car. 

It was as crowded as Scorpius had expected, but it was thankfully devoid of people like Polly Chapman or Karl Jenkins. No one seemed to bat an eye when Scorpius walked in. He supposed the ‘Voldemort’s son’ rumors had gotten old for anyone other than Karl’s posey. 

Everyone was squished far too close to each other for Scorpius’ comfort in the small compartment as they waited for the Head Boy and Head Girl to dole out their jobs—though James didn’t seem to be in any hurry to stop flirting with the curly-haired Ravenclaw girl standing next to him at the front. Scorpius sighed. Albus had complained to him about how cheesy and downright horrendous James’ romance skills could be several times before, but nothing could have prepared him for the six bad (even for _Scorpius_ ’ standards) puns and pickup lines he’d heard about house symbols and colors since he’d walked in. 

Is that how he had looked like Rose last year? Merlin, he really _had_ made a fool of himself. He wouldn’t have wanted to go out with him either. 

He looked around, certain he would find her in the carriage as well, and he wasn’t disappointed. She stood confidently in the center of the room with her arms crossed. She shot Scorpius an icy glare when she noticed him staring.

Yeah, that was fair. 

A seventh year Hufflepuff cleared their throat to remind James that everyone else was _still_ there and _no one_ had wanted to hear a single word of that conversation and James snapped back to reality, grinning unashamedly at the group. 

“Right!” James clapped, calling everyone to attention. “Before we give out everyone’s jobs, we’re going to just do a simple rundown of things, tell you what we’re all about.” 

“In case you didn’t know, I’m Emmeline Spinnet-Bell, and this is James Potter, and we’re both very happy to be working with you all this year,” James’ partner said as she tried to smooth her robes. James winked at her and she tried to scowl, but her cheeks turned pink. 

“I know being a prefect sounds really daunting, but I swear we’re actually a pretty relaxed group. As long as you follow the rules, you’ll be fine,” James said, twirling his wand. Emmeline rolled her eyes. 

“What he _means_ to say is that this is an important job, but you’ve all been picked for a reason, and we have absolute faith that you’ll be able to balance your schoolwork, Quidditch, and any other clubs you participate in with your new duties just fine,” Emmeline assured the group. 

“We’re going to have a _real_ first meeting tomorrow after breakfast to go over the rules and properly explain jobs, but for today we just want everyone to get back into the groove of things. That being said,” James pulled a long roll of parchment from his robes, “seventh years, your job for today is to help out the first years. Make sure they all get on the boats and help them to their dormitories after the sorting. Sixth years will have the first night patrols, and the fifth years will be taking turns patrolling the train.”

Emmeline looked over James’ shoulder to read the list. “Fifth year Slytherins, Mya Chang and Scorpius Malfoy, you’re up first,” she announced. “I’ll tack the rest of the list on the car door, so please be sure to check it so you know when your shift is.” 

Scorpius scanned the room to find his prefect partner. Standing quietly in a corner by herself, Mya Chang seemed just as nervous as he was; Scorpius nearly sighed in relief. At least he wouldn’t be partnered with a bully for the next few years. She sent Scorpius a shy smile, and he waved back awkwardly, quickly looking away. He could have sworn he heard James snort. 

“We look forward to having an orderly and peaceful school year this year, and hope everything goes well today,” Emmeline said graciously as she finished up her and James’ spiel. 

Eager to get back to their friends’ cars and not miss the trolley witch, the train car quickly emptied. Scorpius tried to say goodbye to Rose, determined as ever to get on her good side even without any romantic motives, but she stalked right past him without sparing him a second glance. He bit back a frustrated sigh. He wanted them to get along, if only for Albus’ sake. 

As he passed, James patted his shoulder in what Scorpius thought was supposed to be support—or perhaps sympathy. Maybe even pity. 

“Don’t worry, you’ll just be walking up and down the train cars and answering any questions the younger kids have for an hour. Then, the Gryffindors will take over for you.” 

Scorpius nodded, but he still wasn’t thrilled about taking the first shift. Maybe accepting this position had been a mistake. 

Scorpius took a deep breath. “Thanks, James.” 

“No problem, Malfoy.” James winked and Scorpius frowned. 

He was never quite sure of where he stood with James, never knew what to make of their interactions. James had started to acknowledge his existence after the Time-Turner mishap, but Scorpius was never quite sure if Albus’ brother genuinely liked him, or just thought he was fun to tease to get a rise out of his brother. _Scorpius_ liked James, at least. He was funny enough and could be incredibly sharp, certainly nothing like the evil prat Albus liked to pretend he was. 

And as James and Emmeline practically ran out of the train car together, giggling and whispering together about things that were decidedly _not_ prefect duties—nor things Scorpius had particularly wanted to know about—he and Mya were left alone in the empty train car.

Scorpius could only fiddle nervously with the hem of Mya walked over. 

“Hi—like Emmeline said, I’m Mya Chang,” she said politely as she stuck her hand out for him to shake.

“Scorpius Malfoy,” he repeated as he took her hand. 

“I know.” She winced. “Sorry, that was rude—I didn’t mean it in a bad way. I’ve just seen you around, is all. I sat behind you and Albus in History of Magic last year? And we’re in the same house—obviously, Merlin, I’m not making this any better for myself, am I?” 

Scorpius smiled, and she visibly relaxed.

“It’s fine. Your mother’s the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, right?” 

Mya nodded. “But I swear I earned this position on my own.” 

“I don’t doubt that. I mean, if they’re letting a Malfoy be a prefect, I don’t think they’re going by family bias here.” 

“True,” Mya said understandingly. She sighed in frustration. “Having famous parents _sucks_.” 

Afraid he might come off as rude or snobbish if he commented on how different their parents’ fame was, Scorpius only nodded and let the conversation die out. 

An awkward silence hung over the two, one Scorpius had gotten used to after every conversation that mentioned his heritage. Talking about the complicated mess that was the Malfoy family was not easy for anyone, least of all Scorpius, but he was glad that Mya at least hadn’t run away screaming “son of Voldemort” yet. 

Neither said a word as they continued down the long line of train cars, checking in on their underclassmen and making sure no one was trying to start a ruckus. They did eventually pass the trolley witch, who hadn’t at least outwardly showed any sign of recognizing Scorpius, but that didn’t stop him from turning into an awkward, babbling mess as he tried to get away from her as quickly as he could. Mya had simply raised an eyebrow at his strange behavior and bought a bag of Licorice Wands for the ride. 

As they passed the bathrooms, Scorpius half-expected Mya to excuse herself to the ladies room to escape the stifling awkwardness. 

Instead, she turned back to him. 

“So, are you thinking of joining any clubs this year?” she asked, offering him a Licorice Wand. 

Scorpius blinked in surprise. He couldn’t recall a time where any of his peers that weren’t Albus or Lily had asked about his extracurriculars.

“Yeah, actually, I was thinking of maybe trying out for the Quidditch team this year,” he explained as he took the sweet. 

“Really? Me too. Maybe we’ll be teammates,” she said, nudging him. “What position do you play? I’m a chaser.” 

“Seeker.” 

“Yeah, you seem like a Seeker—which works out perfectly because our last Seeker graduated, and if I remember correctly from first year, you were a talented flyer, too.” 

Scorpius flushed at the praise. “I don’t know if I’d go that far, but thank you.” 

“It’s just the truth,” she said with a shrug. “Is Albus thinking of trying out too?” 

“Al?” He blinked in surprise. “Uh—no, flying isn’t really his thing.” 

Mya nodded in understanding. “I get that. Quidditch matches are scary. If you get on the team: be careful around the Gryffindors. I’m really not exaggerating when I say they have it out for us snakes.” 

Scorpius pictured Albus’ rowdy group of older cousins. “Their players terrify me.” 

“Mhm! Especially Lucy Weasley, that girl has a _mean_ hit—but us Slytherins are pretty good, too!” she quickly added. “We have Brutus Nott, who’s probably the only beater in Hogwarts who can stand toe to toe with Lucy Weasley and not have their arm broken. _And_ Eliana Flint! She’s brilliant too, so incredibly graceful in the air—seriously, _no one_ can do an aerial flip like she does—and Clarke Corner, but he’s a chaser—and—I’m sorry, I’m rambling. You didn’t ask for all that.” Mya played with the ends of her dark hair. 

Scorpius shook his head. “No, this is all useful to know if I want to make the team. And I’m no stranger to rambling either,” he added. 

“If you’re half as good at flying as you are at schoolwork, then you’ll definitely make the team.” She gave him a bright smile. 

“Thanks,” he said lamely. Five years of bullying had left him unsure of how to respond to sincere compliments. 

“Like I said, just the truth.” 

“You know so much about the team, were you on it last year?” Scorpius asked as a pair of giggling second years walked past them. 

Mya shook her head. “My sister’s the Captain, I just know everything because of her. Winning the Quidditch Cup was the only thing she talked about all summer.” 

“Candice Chang, right?” 

“Unfortunately,” Mya said, rolling her eyes. 

They continued walking down the train together, talking away about this and that. It’d been ages since Scorpius had met someone who hadn’t judged him for his last name, and instead for he was as just _Scorpius._ It was refreshing. Strange, but refreshing. It was also the most he had ever heard the other girl talk. She had barely spoken a word—especially to Scorpius of all people—in their classes, let alone launched into an animated retelling of her sister’s victory over Ravenclaw’s star chaser the year before that ended with her accidentally knocking off her headband and almost bumping into the Gryffindor prefects coming to take over their shift.

Somehow, Rose seemed even _more_ annoyed than usual as Mya apologized profusely for treading on her feet. 

Scorpius and Mya reported back to the other prefects that they had seen nothing, although they neglected to mention that they hadn’t exactly been paying as much attention as they probably should have. The Gryffindors rolled their eyes and waved them off as they took over their posts. 

“I hope you’re still taking History of Magic this year,” Mya said as she walked Scorpius back to his compartment. 

“Of course!” Scorpius tried hard to ignore the faint rustling and muted yelling coming from behind his compartment’s door. He prayed that he wouldn’t walk in to find Albus and James wrestling. _Again._ “Wouldn’t miss Professor Binn’s lectures about the Goblin Wars for anything.” 

Mya didn’t comment on the weird noises, but she did look concerned as something banged against the door. “Good, then I hope I’ll be seeing you in class if you don’t get sick enough of me from prefect duties.” 

Scorpius smiled. It was a relief that he hadn’t scared a possible new friend away, and it would certainly be nice to talk to someone that cared in History of Magic—a class Albus usually slept through. “Me? I could never.” 

Playfully, she rolled her eyes. “I’ll take that as a challenge then.” 

“It’s on.” 

They shared one last smile before she went off, leaving Scorpius to return to the safety—or chaos if James really _was_ in there—of his and Albus’ compartment.

“Lily, you can’t just take other people’s stuff!” Albus shouted as he tried to pry a bag of Fizzing Whizzbees out of her iron grip. 

“Why not?” Lily cried indignantly. “It’s just candy!” 

“ _Then buy your own_.” 

“I forgot my money at home!”

“Not my problem!” 

At the sound of the door opening, the two siblings quickly looked up. 

“ _Scorpius_!” Lily let go of the bag and sent Albus flying back against the seat. He swore, loudly and crudely. Scorpius sent him a dirty look. 

“I forgot how _loud_ everything is with you Potters,” Scorpius said as he stepped into the compartment. 

Lily jumped up and wrapped her arm around Scorpius’ waist, leaning against his side as she smirked back at Albus. “I’m so glad you’re back, Scorpius. I can’t deal with Albus anymore.” 

Scorpius snorted and half-hugged Lily back. Lily-hugs were great too, second only to Albus-hugs.

“What’d he do this time?” he asked, looking over at his best friend in mock disapproval. 

“I won’t let her throw my owl off a moving train—” Albus started, but Lily interrupted. 

“I need to ask Mum to send me my Herbology textbook, and if I send Eta right now, I could have it by dinner tonight, but Albus won’t let me use her, _and_ he won’t even let me have some of his sweets!” Lily rolled her eyes. “I don’t know how you deal with him, Scorpius, he’s so bloody _frustrating_.”

Scorpius nodded knowingly. “Lots and lots of patience. And Pepper Imps.” 

Albus scowled. “I don’t know why I’m friends with you two. You’re nothing but mean to me.” 

“I’m your sister, not your friend,” Lily corrected as she sat back down, “and—quite frankly, Albus—I don’t think you’d be able to survive Hogwarts without Scorpius.” 

Albus’ cheeks darkened in embarrassment, but he made no move to correct her, and it made Scorpius’ stomach fill with wild doxies. He couldn’t help but feel pleased by his friend’s lack of protest. 

(Perhaps, if he repeated the word _friend_ enough, his heart might start to agree.)

Scorpius leaned over to grab a bag of Jelly Slugs from his school bag and tossed it to Lily before Albus could grab them out of his hand.

She smiled smugly at her brother as she ripped open the bag.

“So, Scorpius, how was the prefect meeting?” Lily changed the subject as Albus reached over to grab a slug from the bag. She slapped his hand away, glaring. 

“It was fine, more like an introduction than anything. Our first real meeting is tomorrow. My prefect partner was nice, though, which is better than what I expected,” Scorpius said. “Her name’s Mya—I don’t know if you know her from any classes.” 

“Mya Chang?” Lily asked as she took a bite out of an orange jelly slug. Scorpius nodded, sitting down next to Albus. “I’ve seen her in the Great Hall before, she seems nice. She’s pretty.” 

“I guess...” Scorpius frowned. Lily wasn’t wrong; Mya _was_ pretty. With her long black hair, freckled nose, and warm smile, he knew that she was popular among the boys of their year, although she mostly kept to herself, and from what Scorpius had heard, most of their classmates were too scared to even talk to her out of fear that she’d tattle to her mother if they broke any of the school’s rules. 

Beside him, Albus tensed. “Yeah, she seems...nice,” he said with a breezy shrug, but his words were clipped. Forced. Dread began to build in Scorpius’ stomach. Mya was definitely not his type, but what if she was Albus’? She was pretty and smart—just like Delphi had been before she’d betrayed them. What if Albus found _Mya_ attractive, too? What if he _liked_ her? Scorpius didn’t know if he could handle seeing his best friend pine uselessly after another girl again, especially now that he had finally come to terms with his own feelings for Albus. 

“Since when is James dating Emmeline Spinnet-Bell? I thought he was with Charlotte Bones,” Scorpius asked, desperate to move the subject away from Albus’ potential dating life. 

Albus snorted. “It’s James. Hasn’t he been with every girl in his year at this point?” 

“He started dating her at some point during the summer. They’re _disgusting_!” Lily gagged. “I kept walking in on them snogging!” 

Scorpius coughed awkwardly into his hand. He was determinedly trying not to picture what it would be like to snog Albus in the Potter’s house. It sounded like a very pleasurable summer to him, although he would prefer no siblings walking in. 

“Albus, when you start dating, promise me you won’t be that gross,” Lily continued. 

Albus blushed and quickly looked out the window. Scorpius had never seen anyone seem so interested in watching passing trees before. When Scorpius turned back at her, Lily sent him a knowing look, which he ignored. Instead, he looked down at the ground. 

He knew his crush was far from subtle, but he wished Lily wouldn’t tease. 

“You’re as pink as Tilda, are you alright, Al?” Lily said, grinning wildly between the two boys before her. Yeah. Scorpius _really_ wished she wouldn’t tease. 

Hearing her name, Tilda squeaked. Lily leaned over to pet her between the silver bars of her cage. 

“Why are you still here, Lily?” Albus asked, and Scorpius could see him start to pick at his nails, a bad habit he’d developed when he was nervous. 

“Because I want to talk to Scorpius,” she answered simply, and a warm, happy feeling washed over Scorpius. “And you still haven’t given me trolley money, Al,” she added. 

“If I give you a couple sickles and a stale candy bar from last year, will you _please_ leave us alone?” 

“Fine,” she said, “but keep the candy bar—or, better yet, throw it away.” 

Albus fished the coins out of his bag and all but threw them at his sister. After a final coo over Tilda and a bright grin at Scorpius, Lily bounded out of their compartment, slamming the door shut behind her. 

“I’m sorry about her.” Albus sighed, turning back to Scorpius, less pink than before and significantly more relaxed. Scorpius couldn’t help but smile back at his best friend. 

“I don’t mind,” Scorpius answered honestly as he tucked the discarded bag of Jelly Slugs back into his satchel. “I like how your family seems to like me now.”

Albus rolled his eyes but smiled anyway. “I don’t see how they could’ve not. You’re too nice to dislike.” 

“Our fathers get along now, I’m sure that helps.” 

After the wedge between them had almost cost them their sons, both Draco and Harry had made significant efforts in trying to end any lingering animosity between them. As far as Scorpius could tell, they’d been fairly successful. He’d even been allowed to stay a few weeks at the Potter’s over the summer that year, and the happiness he had felt while laying next to Albus, watching the stars on the Potter’s roof, could have conjured a Patronus. 

“Who cares about them?” Albus said dismissively as he reached to grab a book from the top of his trunk. He held it out to Scorpius, who couldn’t help but snort in amusement when he noticed it was a completely different book, some sort of Muggle fantasy novel, then what Albus had been reading when he had first left the car. “I was reading before Lily interrupted, but now I have a horrible headache and I don’t think I’ll be able to focus. Could you read to me, please?” 

Without hesitation, Scorpius obliged. Reading to Albus was one of his favorite things to do. He took the book from Albus and flipped it open to where a Chocolate Frog card had been used as a bookmark. Hermione Granger-Weasley smiled back proudly at him. He set the card aside and Albus scooted closer, laying his head comfortably on Scorpius’ lap. One of Scorpius’ hands dropped to Albus’ hair, and he began to gently play with the mess of black curls as he started to read aloud. 

Scorpius didn’t know if this was ‘normal’ for best friends. He’d never had a best friend before Albus, but from what he’d seen, none of the other boys were so openly affectionate with each other. Karl Jenkins certainly never held Yann Fredericks’ hand when he was upset or played with his hair when he was bored, but after their fourth year, he couldn’t imagine his friendship with Albus without the constant touching. Frequent hugs that seemed to linger for a moment too long, hands brushing under their desks in class and heads resting on each other’s shoulders as they listened to the other talk, standing as close together as they physically could while maintaining the thin line of just _platonic_ that had slowly become their new normal; Scorpius wouldn’t trade any of it for the world, even if overanalyzing their every interaction in the hopes that maybe these feelings weren’t required—and the subsequent reminder that it was just a _platonic_ sign of _friend_ ship to Albus—was so heartbreakingly painful every time. 

“Was everything really okay at the meeting today?” Albus eventually asked, voice thick with exhaustion. 

Scorpius’ hand stilled as he looked down at Albus in surprise. “Yeah—it was quite uneventful, really.” 

“No one said anything rude?” 

“No, none of our usual bullies were there.” 

“Good. I was ready to hex them if they were,” Albus whispered as he fought to keep his eyes open. 

“You don’t have to go all Gryffindor and get into fights on my behalf, Albus,” Scorpius reminded him. Was he a horrible friend for feeling almost flattered that Albus was so determined to punch Karl Jenkins in the nose for him? 

“Would be worth it though,” Albus whispered, so quietly Scorpius almost wasn’t sure he’d even heard him. 

He didn’t have a good response to that—or at least none that didn’t involve fawning over how much he appreciated Albus—so Scorpius just turned back to the book. 

And as Scorpius continued to read, Albus nuzzled further into his lap. Scorpius took a sharp breath and hoped that Albus hadn’t noticed how tense he had gotten. This intimacy wasn’t new, but the burst of adrenaline and the feeling of his heart racing out of his chest was still as overwhelming as the first time they had hugged only a year before. After a few agonizing minutes, Albus’ eyes finally closed and Scorpius felt him go limp against his lap. Scorpius sighed in relief. When Albus didn’t stir, Scorpius tried to go back to reading, but he was too distracted to focus. He knew he wouldn’t be able to do much of anything during the train ride, not when Albus was asleep _on his lap,_ a faint smile on his face, and still leaning into Scorpius’ hand. Sighing, Scorpius gently placed the book down beside him and looked out the window, resigning himself to a long train ride. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as an fyi too, this fic is completed, updates will be every Tuesday! 
> 
> It’s also my first scorbus fic, so I’m sorry if the characters seem a little bit off, I hope they get better as the fic continues 
> 
> Come bother me on [Tumblr!](https://hyperiius.tumblr.com/)


	2. My strength in you

A nervous air of excitement plagued the Dining Hall on the third morning of the new school year. It was the day of Quidditch tryouts, and Scorpius was certain he was going to either pass out or have a nervous breakdown before breakfast even ended. 

Beside him at the Slytherin table, Albus was still half asleep, his head buried in his arms, ignoring breakfast completely. Scorpius couldn’t blame him, he felt sick to his stomach.

He stared down at his own plate of cold eggs and unbuttered toast. He had never felt so un-appetized in his life. 

“You have to eat or you’ll pass out during tryouts,” Albus said, his voice muffled by his arms. 

Scorpius tried to take a bite out of the toast, but it only made the queasy feeling in his stomach worse. 

Albus finally looked up. “Scor, you’ll do fine. You’ve been practicing like mad all summer—even _James_ said you were good when he saw you fly.” 

Scorpius bit at his nails. “But what if he was just being nice?” 

Albus scoffed. “It’s _James_. He doesn’t know how to be nice.” 

“I don’t know, he was rather nice to me on the train a few days ago, and he covered for us last year when we got caught sneaking around after curfew.” 

“I think James just has a bias towards you. He’s certainly never nice when he’s talking to _me_.” Albus yawned as he leaned across the table to grab the coffee pot. 

Scorpius sighed. “Albus.” 

“You always say my name like that,” Albus commented as he poured himself a large cup. “Want one?” 

“No, I’ll definitely throw up if I drink caffeine before I fly.” Albus snorted and Scorpius raised an eyebrow. “Like what?” 

“You say it like Al-bus, instead of just Albus,” he said, a fond smile teasing at his lips. 

Scorpius blinked. “I’m...sorry? I’ll try to say it normally next time.” 

“No!” Coffee sloshed over the side of his cup as Albus all but slammed it down on the table. “Don’t. I like how you say my name.” 

“Okay?” Scorpius frowned as he handed a napkin to Albus. 

“Definitely.” 

“Mhm… Are you feeling okay, Al?” 

“Yeah.” Albus took a long drink of coffee, pointedly looking across the dining hall at the Hufflepuffs. “Just...tired. Long night.” 

“Right.” Scorpius still didn’t feel at ease. 

Albus sighed, shook his head, and turned to Scorpius.

“Listen. I’m running on two hours of sleep and only half a cup of coffee, and I can’t even do this at the best of times,” he fumbled with his hands before placing them on Scorpius’ shoulders, “but I want you to know that I’m rooting for you. You can do this. There isn’t a Slytherin more skilled or deserving to be Seeker this year, and I know you’ll get a spot on the team.” 

Scorpius smiled, big and bright.

“Thank you, Albus...that was—really kind of you to say.” 

“Yeah, whatever.” Albus took another sip of his coffee, and despite his efforts at nonchalance, Scorpius could see a blush creeping up his neck. The feeling of wild doxies rampaging in his stomach was back.

Albus looked over at the clock and nudged him. “Also, tryouts start in twenty. Might want to go get ready.” 

“Puffing Puffskeins!”

“You can just say ‘fuck’ you know.” 

Scorpius almost shoved him off the bench. 

— 

There were already a dozen people waiting around for tryouts to start when Scorpius walked onto the Quidditch pitch. His heart dropped. 

Everyone on the team but the Captain was supposed to be trying out again, but realistically he knew there were only three open spots on the team, two Chaser positions, and a Seeker. Candice Chang was certainly not about to kick two of Hogwarts’ best Beaters off her team, or a Chaser good enough to go professional, if she wanted to win the Quidditch Cup—something that everyone else must have also figured out, as no other Beaters or Keepers had come to try out. 

As he watched Eliana Flint and Brutus Nott practice hitting Bludgers at each other with almost barbaric force in the skies above, Scorpius wasn’t sure if he wanted to throw up or cry. Maybe both. The only thing keeping him from running away was Albus.

Though he hated Quidditch, Albus had still made a point to come watch the tryouts. Seeing his best friend in the stands above, smiling so supportively despite being so completely out of his element, strengthened Scorpius’ resolve. He steeled himself, tightened his almost death-like grip on his broom, and walked over to everyone else, head held high, as confident as he could probably ever be. 

Candice barely spared Scorpius a second look as he joined the group, but he could feel his self-confidence wither just being around her. She was a taller, _much_ more intimidating version of Mya, who was all warm smiles and endless encouragement. Candice’s face was set in a determined frown, and she walked around the pitch as if she was ready to fight the entirety of the Gryffindor Quidditch team herself—which Scorpius wouldn’t doubt she would do. She screamed the same kind of immaculate perfection that Rose Granger-Weasley did, with her sleek ponytail and Quidditch robes, perfectly pressed and wrinkle-free, billowing behind her as she inspected her future players. 

She clapped her hands together, calling the attention of the group.

“Welcome to this year's Quidditch tryouts.” Although she didn’t sound particularly thrilled, her lips quirked up. “I apologize that tryouts are so early in the season, but this is the year that Slytherin finally retakes the Quidditch Cup from Gryffindor, and I’d like to start practicing as soon as possible.” 

She tossed a Quaffle to another seventh year, Clarke Corner—one of the most outspoken Pride of Portree fans Scorpius had ever met and an almost guaranteed future player for the team. “Chasers, you’re up first.” 

The Chasers took off, only leaving Scorpius and two others behind: Jacqueline Montague and Tiberius Nott. His competitors. He felt slightly better about his own odds, especially when he noticed that his own broom was far better than theirs, but he knew the position was far from securely his. 

Both Jacqueline and Tiberius had been competent flyers in their first year, and Scorpius could only imagine those skills had improved in the four years since. 

He took a deep breath and focused on the sky above, where his (hopefully, if he repeated it enough, he’d start to believe it) future teammates swooped and dove as they fought for the Quaffle. Immediately, Scorpius spotted Mya at the head of the group. Like her sister, Mya was an incredibly talented flyer, and it both filled Scorpius with dread and happiness to watch her zip past her competition on her way across the field, Quaffle in hand, Scorpius’ own roommate Drystan Goyle not far behind her, to the goals where Candice was waiting in the hoops. 

Everyone was so talented. They’d all been working so much harder and longer than he had; how could he ever hope to make the team? 

It was too soon before the Chasers finally landed back on the pitch and Scorpius watched in utter despair as they were dismissed and Candice focused her attention back on the three that remained.

“All of you are trying out for Seeker, I assume?” She smiled as they nodded. “Good.” 

She held out her hand and a golden Snitch flew into the air. They watched as it swooped around them and took off across the field, disappearing into the distance. “I’m going to release a Snitch, and I’ll keep track of how many you each catch and your times.” 

Scorpius looked back to the stands as Candice set up a Tempus Charm. Albus looked more lost than ever, but he sent Scorpius an encouraging thumbs-up as they mounted their brooms. 

“Ready...” Candice called, forcing Scorpius to look away from possibly the only thing keeping him calm. 

“Set...” His hands shook violently as he gripped his broom. 

“Go!” she shouted, and they all kicked off, flying up into the sky. 

Unlike the Chasers, who had almost seemed to dance with one another as they passed the Quaffle and dodged Bludgers, the three Seekers separated almost instantly. Scorpius tried to focus only on himself, but he couldn’t stop looking over at Jacqueline and Tiberius, who flew to the top of the stadium while he stayed down below, surveying the pitch grounds while he flew in slow, lazy circles. It was his father’s strategy—who, despite his shadier method of getting onto the team, _was_ a talented Seeker—and Scorpius trusted his word, but the doubts continued to pile in his head as he rounded around the goalposts. He was flying too slowly, too low to the ground, not steadily enough, not skillfully enough...

The Snitch was still nowhere to be seen, and as giddy with adrenaline as he was anxious, Scorpius allowed himself a moment to look up at Albus, if only for his own sake of mind. Albus’ confident smile never wavered as he watched Scorpius. Scorpius could feel his heartbeat faster—if such a thing were possible—and he quickly smiled back and looked away towards the opposite side of the field as his cheeks burned up. 

He could (and Merlin, _would he_ ) think about Albus later, but for now, he had to focus on the Snitch. 

A flash of gold by the stands in the distance caught his attention, and Scorpius hurled towards it. It was the fastest he had ever flown. Even Candice seemed a little impressed when he handed her back the first Snitch moments later, just under three and a half minutes' time. 

—

_The Boggart-Banishing Spell, Riddikulus, is the only known ~~cherm~~ charm that can be used to ~~repell~~ repel Boggarts, amortal beings that take the shape of a wizard's or worst fear. To be defeated, a ~~bogart~~ Boggart must be turned into_

Scorpius sighed in frustration as he crossed out the first paragraph of his essay. It was barely legible anyway; his hands were shaking too much to properly hold a quill. He really _was_ trying to focus on what he was writing, something about the origins of the Riddikulus Charm for Professor Chang, but his mind kept wandering back to Quidditch. 

He set the essay aside. He was too distracted to try working on any homework now; he’d just have to wake up earlier the next morning to get it done. He was tempted to start drafting a letter to his father, but it seemed too preemptive without even knowing if he’d made the team or not. He stole a look at the ornate clock in the Slytherin common room and groaned. Time had only seemed to slow down in the two hours since tryouts, and he was starting to rethink his life-long ban on time turners if it meant that he’d get the tryout results back faster. 

Next to him, Albus hummed in amusement as he turned the page of his Potions book. 

They were comfortable, limbs loosely entwined, as they laid together on one of the smaller sofas in the Slytherin common room, like they always did whenever they weren’t in the library or studying by the lake. Other students' eyes always seemed to linger and their voices dropped to whispers when they saw the two curled up together, and perhaps Scorpius and Albus had grown a little too old to sit so closely together without attracting unwanted attention, but Scorpius was sure there were worse things to do than cuddle with his best friend. 

_Friend. Friend. Friend. Friend._

If he could remind himself enough, perhaps he’d start to believe it, and the feelings that only grew harder to control with each passing day would eventually fade.

Scorpius wanted to laugh at the sheer absurdity of the idea.

Albus Potter was beautiful, and not just physically—though he was rather easy on the eyes, too. He was clever and intelligent and funny in a dry, sarcastic way that could always make Scorpius smile, no matter how terrible he felt. He was Albus, and to Scorpius, that was perfect. He couldn’t not love him. He didn’t _want_ to not love him. Because that’s what it was. Love. He was Scorpius’ home, the boy he’d given up his kingdom for and would do so time and time again just for one more moment by his side. It was so much more than just a crush. Crushes were juvenile, pieces of fleeting attraction based on mysteries that always faded with answers. This ran deeper than that. He’d had a crush on Rose, but he was in love with Albus, and even if it was unrequited, he didn’t want these feelings to go away, no matter how painful they may be. His mother had always told him that love was a beautiful thing to be embraced, and as Scorpius watched Albus, perfectly content besides him, he had to agree. 

“Nervous?” Albus looked up, and for someone who had protested so adversarially towards his placement in Slytherin house, Scorpius marveled (not for the first time) at how right his friend looked amongst the washed-out green of the common room. 

“No, fine as a fairy.” 

Albus looked bemused. “Scor, I’m telling you, you’ll get on the team.”

“You don’t know that, Albus!” 

Albus set his book aside and turned his attention fully to Scorpius. “Didn’t you agree that tryouts went well?” 

Despite himself, Scorpius nodded. 

Catching the first Snitch had allowed him to overcome the mental blocks that had held him back. Afterward, he’d been able to fly freely, no doubts holding him back until he and Albus had made it back to the common room, where his fears had dragged him back under. 

It had been possibly his best flying to date, and he’d managed to catch nine of the other Snitches that Candice had released, each in record time and putting him firmly in the lead over Jacqueline’s seven and Tiberius’ three. He held a very real chance—but that was if he was even being considered at all. 

Despite everything, and how polarly opposite he was in almost every way from the expected stereotype of a Malfoy heir, people still weren’t able to look past his last name, only worsened by the ever-present rumors of being Voldemort’s son, or that he was manipulating Harry Potter’s youngest son—and daughter now, too—into becoming Death Eaters. 

Scorpius didn’t know much about Candice Chang. He knew she was a talented Quidditch player, and he’d heard she was a strict Captain, but that was it. Her sister had been kind, treating him as her equal during all of their conversations and prefect duties, but morals varied wildly from person to person in a family, and he knew nothing of Candice personally. Aside from brief exchanges during tryouts, he’d never actually spoken to her, and by extent, never had had the chance to prove to her that he was just a normal person born to an unfair legacy that he’d had no part in creating, that he couldn’t be more against. There were people that wouldn’t allow him onto the team based on reputation alone, and he could do nothing but hope and wish that Candice was different. 

“I saw you fly, Scorpius. You’re brilliant on a broom. I’m certain you made it.” 

Despite his never-ending worries, Scorpius smiled. Albus thought he was brilliant—on a broom, but he’d take what he could get. 

He opened his mouth to respond, to thank his friend for being so supportive, because, truly, Albus had been going over and beyond for him recently, but Albus had never been good at keeping his sarcasm to a minimum. 

“And if you didn’t, I’m sure your dad would be willing to buy the team a set of the newest Nimbus brooms so they’d have no choice but to let you on.” 

Scorpius grabbed the closest throw pillow and lobbed it at Albus.

“I am _not_ buying my way onto the Quidditch team.” 

Albus laughed as he threw the pillow back, but it missed Scorpius completely and landed behind the sofa. Unperturbed, Scorpius settled back down and pulled his essay onto his lap, leaving Albus to go retrieve it. 

“Will your father be hearing about this?” Albus teased, and oh, now Scorpius was so tempted to go grab the pillow again himself. 

Touching, hugging, joking about the walking disasters that were their fathers now that they both weren’t constantly seething with teenage angst: it was amazing the difference a year could make. 

“Of course. I’ll make sure to mention it when I give him my weekly Albus update.” 

And he _was_ joking, but he wasn’t oblivious to the long paragraph he tended to include about Albus in his letters home. His mother had teased him relentlessly about it when he was younger, but his father never commented unless it included any particularly alarming information, like when Harry had tried to keep the two boys apart. 

“I feel loved,” Albus said, playing with the end of Scorpius’ quill. 

He should. There was no one in the world Scorpius was more sure deserved to feel loved than Albus Potter. 

“You are,” Scorpius responded, trying to distract himself from his mushy thoughts and feelings by going back to Defense work. 

He was still at a loss on how to describe the Riddikulus charm when the doors to the common room swung open. Candice walked in, carrying a large piece of parchment. The tryout results. Scorpius’ stomach dropped. 

He frantically hit Albus on the shoulder. “Al, Al, Al—that’s _Candice Chang_.” 

Albus barely looked up from his book. “I can see that, Scorp.” 

“Those are the tryout results.” 

“Yeah. You should go see them.” 

“Definitely not.”

“You can do it, Scorpius.” 

“ _I can’t_!”

“Wouldn’t it be better to at least know if you got in?” 

Scorpius bit his thumb. “No. Oh, Merlin, what if I was too cocky and I actually flew horribly—I mean, I did almost hit one of the hoops at one point, I’ve probably become the joke of the Quidditch team! I _definitely_ couldn’t have made it in—”

Albus gently placed a hand on Scorpius’ and guided it away from his mouth. Scorpius felt like his whole body was on fire. 

“Scorpius. It’s okay. If you didn’t make it this time—though I’m sure you did—you still have two more years to make the team. It’ll be alright.” Absentmindedly, Albus ran his thumb along Scorpius’ knuckles, and his heart nearly burst then and there. 

Albus said it so sincerely, as though no part of him didn’t believe in Scorpius, that Scorpius felt like he had no choice but to believe him. 

“If you say so,” he answered weakly. 

Albus smiled, guiding Scorpius up from his seat. “I know so. Let’s go check, okay?” 

Scorpius nodded and allowed himself to be pulled towards the announcement board at the front of the common room, where a small crowd had gathered. It took all of Scorpius’ willpower not to run away as Albus pushed them through to the front. 

Albus gasped, and _oh, Merlin._

“I can’t look,” Scorpius said, covering his eyes with his free hand. 

Albus laughed. “Trust me, Scor, you’re going to want to look.” 

He reluctantly peeked out from between his fingers, reading the list as slowly as he could to avoid looking down at the bottom—where the team’s newest Seeker’s name would undoubtedly lie. He relaxed a little when he saw Mya’s name on the list. At least one of them had made it. He was happy for his friend. 

He reread Eliana Flint’s name over and over, too scared to look below her’s to see who the new Seeker was. 

He swore under his breath and finally just looked down.

_Seeker: Scorpius Malfoy_

_Reserve: Jacqueline Montague_

His hand dropped in shock. 

Scorpius Malfoy. Him. That was him. _He_ was the Slytherin Quidditch team’s new Seeker. 

He nearly cried with relief. 

“I made it?” he whispered in shock.

“You made it!” Albus cried as he laughed in delight. “I told you you’d make it!” 

Scorpius was in too much of a daze to do much else but laugh, almost deliriously, as he reread the line a hundred times like the three words were a joke and his name would melt away to reveal someone else’s. 

They didn’t.

He really had made it onto Slytherin’s Quidditch team.

“I’m so proud of you!” Albus said as he wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “I knew you would do it, Scorp, you’re bloody brilliant!” 

He laughed and leaned against Albus. His legs were so close to giving out beneath him. He had dreamed about making it onto the Quidditch team since he was seven after his dad had first told him about his time as the Slytherin Seeker during his years at Hogwarts, but he had never been sure he actually would make it. After his hopes had been so nearly dashed the year before, it felt so surreal that it had become a reality. 

“Congratulations, Scorpius,” another voice said, and Scorpius turned to see Mya beaming at him as she walked up to the pair. She smiled and waved in greeting to Albus, who seemed surprised, though pleased, by the acknowledgment. 

“Thanks! Congratulations to you, too!” Scorpius was sure he looked like a bumbling idiot, smiling so much. 

“We’re going to be teammates!” She high fived him. “Aren’t you excited?” 

“Of course.” 

And he was.

He really, truly was. 

He couldn’t wait to write to his father. 

—

Their first practice was a partial disaster. 

Mya hadn’t been lying when she had said that Candice Chang was dead set on stealing the Quidditch Cup from Gryffindor that year if the rigorous training schedule she had posted in the common room had been anything to go by. 

Their practices were to start immediately the next day and continue to only grow in number and intensity throughout the next three weeks until their first game against Ravenclaw. 

Scorpius had known it would be physically taxing to join the Quidditch team—it was still a _sport,_ regardless of it being played in the air—but he had never expected to have to wake up before the sun was even out on a Monday morning to fly in the chill September air and search for a golden dot that never wanted to be found. He favored mornings, but it was too early even for him, and Scorpius wanted nothing more than to crawl back to bed and sleep until at least the sun had risen out from behind the Forbidden Forest. 

It was a slow practice, with everyone but Candice or Clarke Corner too exhausted to muster up enough energy to be enthusiastic about anything, let alone Quidditch. Candice had apologized for the early hour, claiming that every other practice slot for the day had been taken so they’d had to make do, but it did little to help with the team’s crabbiness. Even Mya looked like she wanted to strangle her sister when she ordered them to do laps until they all felt awake enough to play. 

Scorpius only caught the Snitch twice, but he had almost fallen asleep, and off his broom, at least three times. Only the thought of possibly being given an Albus-hug if he complained enough pushed him forward to get through to the end of practice—that was if Albus would even be able to wake up without Scorpius to shove him out of bed.

To Scorpius’ surprise, Albus _had_ been able to get up on his own before their first class. He’d even woken up early enough to wait for Scorpius outside the Quidditch locker rooms after practice, something that made Scorpius feel light, giddy, and like he could endure a hundred more Quidditch practices at five in the morning just for it to happen again. 

“You’re already up?” he joked. 

“I _know,_ ” Albus groaned, but his smile never faded. “The things I do for you, Scorpius Malfoy.” 

“You’re a true Prince Charming, Albus.” 

He could’ve sworn that Albus’ face had flushed under the praise, as sarcastic as it was. 

“How was your first practice?” Albus asked, and his voice definitely a little higher. 

Scorpius yawned, sagging against Albus.

“Bloody exhausting! I want to lay in bed and never get up,” he complained. 

“I could be convinced to skip class and go back to the dorms,” Albus quipped, and Scorpius tried not to let his imagination run wild at _that_ _._

Scorpius nudged him. “ _No._ We have to go to Charms, no matter how much you hate it.” 

Albus sighed as they entered the Dining Hall. “How are you not in Ravenclaw?” 

Scorpius almost felt dizzy with delight as he sniffed the air, thick with the different smells of coffee and pastries. His stomach grumbled loudly. “Don’t complain, we probably wouldn’t have been friends if I had been placed in Ravenclaw.” 

“That’s not true. We didn’t even meet because we were in the same house. I’d’ve found a way to hunt down the nice blonde boy from the train who sang me a song and gave me Pepper Imps—”

“Oi, Malfoy! Potter!” a voice called, interrupting Albus. 

They both froze in their tracks. 

Scorpius looked back, expecting to see Karl Jenkins and his lackeys ready to pick a fight, but instead, the Quidditch team was waving them over from their spot at the end of the Slytherin table. 

“Did _Brutus Nott_ just call us over to sit with him?” Albus hissed as they stared in shock. 

Scorpius nodded dumbly. “I have no idea what’s going on,” he whispered back. 

Around them, students turned to look, as surprised as they were that anyone so high above their social standing would invite _them_ over to sit. Scorpius was too surprised, and much too exhausted, to tell Albus to stop glaring at the gapers as they walked over. 

The team greeted them warmly as they arrived (except for Eliana Flint, but Scorpius was certain her frown was because Clarke Corner had accidentally hit her when he was waving rather than Scorpius and Albus’ presence. At least—he hoped so.) 

“You guys should sit with us for breakfast,” Clarke greeted, ignoring the waffle Eliana threw at his head. 

When they hesitated, Brutus slapped the spots on the bench next to him.

“You’re on the team now Malfoy, which means you can sit with us. If you want.” 

Scorpius frowned. “Uh, what about Albus?” He wasn’t going to leave Albus, not even for the likes of Brutus Nott. 

“Potter, too,” Clarke Corner amended. “May as well get used to his presence now, anyways.” 

“What is _that_ supposed to mean?” Albus asked. 

Clarke ignored him. “Plus sometimes we talk strategy and you should be here for that,” he said to Scorpius. 

Scorpius looked at Albus, who shrugged but didn’t protest. Slowly, they both sat down next to Brutus, trying their best to ignore the shocked ripple of whispers traveling up the table. 

Eliana Flint rolled her eyes. “Yes, because we have so many _super-secret strategy meetings_ in the _Dining Hall_ where anyone from another team could overhear us.” 

Scorpius flinched and narrowly dodged as she threw another waffle, this time at Brutus, her boyfriend. 

Eliana stopped and looked him over.

“I can’t believe we finally have a Malfoy on the team,” she said. 

“Thank you?” He wasn’t quite sure what to make of that. He wasn’t going to buy everyone brooms if that was what she meant. 

“You inherited your father’s looks, I hope you inherited his skill, too,” she said simply, reaching for a piece of toast. 

Besides him, Brutus frowned. “He’s been on the team for a day and you’re already flirting with him, Flint?” 

Eliana rolled her eyes. “Neither of us are each other’s types, Brutus, it’s okay.” 

Scorpius shifted uncomfortably as the couple stared off besides him. He had absolutely no idea what was going on, if perhaps he had said or done something wrong, but he didn’t want to get on either Eliana or Brutus’ bad side. 

“So, Potter, are you thinking of trying out for the team next year? There’ll be some open spots when Candice and I graduate,” Clarke asked, grinning through a mouthful of omelet. 

“Probably not,” Albus said as he piled food onto his plate. “Quidditch isn’t really my thing.” 

Clarke’s jaw dropped. “But you’re Ginny Potter’s son!” 

Candice rubbed her temples. “What a _great_ first impression you guys are making,” she muttered and Albus looked amused. 

Scorpius half expected Albus to angrily yell at Clarke that he was nothing like his siblings or cousins, or possibly just scowl and walk away for being compared to his “Gryffindor” family as he had in the past, but Albus simply shrugged. 

“My family is _really_ into Quidditch, but it just never really interested me. Sorry.” 

“Like James?” Clarke asked. He leaned in across the table, lowering his voice. “Is there anything you know about his plans for his team this year?” 

Albus shook his head. “All I know is that he, Lucy, and Rose spent all summer practicing in the yard. Never cared enough to ask about specifics.” 

The team visibly deflated. 

“But I’ll tell you if I find out anything?” Albus offered.

“Yes!” Clarke pumped his fist into the air. “We have an inside spy.” 

“Because that’s just how I wanted to win the cup, by making Potter’s brother our spy,” Candice said dryly. 

“What if he turns on us and tells everything we tell him to the Gryffindors?” Eliana asked. 

Brutus waved his hand dismissively. “His boy’s on our team, he won’t do that.” 

Albus turned bright red, and Scorpius choked on his food. “ _What_?”

No one paid them any mind. 

“You’re right,” Eliana acquiesced, sizing Albus up. “He’ll be useful to have around, so long as he doesn’t two-time us.” 

“Is it too late to re-pick the team?” Candice asked. “I think even James Potter would be better to play with than you lot.” She paused and looked back at Albus. “No offense.” 

“None was taken. He’s a git.”

Albus’ hand brushed against Scorpius’ under the table, a gesture that had happened countless times before, almost unremarkable after their cuddling the day before, but Scorpius jumped in surprise and Albus quickly moved away. Mya sent them both a weird look from across the table, but Scorpius had never been so interested in buttering toast evenly before. 

The group had already moved on from Albus’ undercover espionage to how good the newest Nimbus broom actually was compared to the last model, but Scorpius still hadn’t recovered.

“Tea?” Mya asked, and they nodded.

“I’m sorry about them, they’re...a lot.”She said as she dropped a teabag into a pair of cups and held them out for the boys to take. “I wish I could blame it on the early practice, but they’re kind of always like this.” 

Scorpius graciously took his. “Thanks.” Without thinking, he took a sip and winced. The tea burned his tongue, but he didn’t want to make a fool of himself by spitting it back out, so he forced himself to swallow. 

Mya sank back in her seat, looking at him in amusement over the edge of her own cup. Scorpius was about to change the subject, to ask about the Charms homework he knew for certain that Albus had half-arsed and he himself had barely understood when a chirping hoot interrupted. 

They all looked up as owls started to pour into the Hall, dropping packages and letters onto the students below. 

Scorpius’ heart twisted painfully as he watched the owls soar across the Dining Hall. It reminded him of his first years at Hogwarts when his mother would send him (and by extension, Albus) elaborate care packages of candy, books, and games to help ease his homesickness. Now, whenever he saw the owls fly above, the small, childish part of him that still resented the world for taking his mother from him at such a young age would stupidly hope that he’d see his mother’s owl fly in again, a large box almost twice it’s size attached to its leg. 

Scorpius immediately picked his father’s owl out from the flock, a large king owl that seemed far angrier than those around it, and was delighted to see both a letter and package attached to her leg. 

The owl landed perfectly on his arm and even let Scorpius untie the package without so much as a snap at his fingers. 

“Good girl,” he cooed, offering her a small piece of bacon, which she quickly scarfed down before she took off again for the manor. 

He read the letter first.  
  


_Scorpius,_

_I’m incredibly pleased, though not at all surprised, that you’ve made the Slytherin Quidditch team. I’m proud of you, and I cannot wait to come see your first game. If I can manage to find it, I’ll even wear my old Slytherin scarf._

_Your sweets addiction needs no enabling, but as it is a special occasion, I’ve sent a bag of Pepper Imps, as well as your house scarf, which you forgot at home—although I doubt you’ll be using it as much now that you’ll be actually playing during the Quidditch games._

_— Father_

Scorpius smiled. His father wasn’t one for sentimentalities, especially not in letters, but Scorpius wanted to write back immediately with a letter expressing how much his dad’s support truly did mean to him. 

He quickly ripped through the brown wrapping of the package. Inside, his Slytherin scarf was folded neatly atop of a large bag of Pepper Imps that he immediately dug into. His father was right, it really was an addiction. 

“Want one?” he offered to Albus, who grinned in delight. 

“Of course.” Albus took one from the bag. He passed Scorpius a pink envelope with a Gryffindor seal. “Here, Mum sent you one, too.”

Scorpius almost dropped his Imp. “For _me_?” he asked, a tad incredulous. 

“‘Course. I think you’re her favorite child,” Albus helped himself to another Pepper Imp.   
  


_Dear Scorpius,_

_Good morning! I hope this letter doesn’t seem intrusive, but after last year I figured it was important to reach out to both you and Albus to make sure you’re both doing okay. I hope the new school year has been treating you well. Albus mentioned that you’ve gotten on Slytherin’s Quidditch team, and I’m excited to see you play during your first match against Gryffindor! Lily got onto her team as well—but as a Chaser. She insists that you have to come over during Christmas break so you two can practice together. I’ll talk to your father—I’m sure we’ll be able to work something out. Albus would also love to have you around, no doubt._

_I know that fifth year is an incredibly difficult year, with O.W.Ls and all, but I’m sure that if anyone can manage it, it’s you. Both Albus and your father can’t stop talking about how intelligent you are, and after your visit over the summer, I’m inclined to believe them._

_Please don’t ever hesitate to reach out if you need anything!_

_Lots of love,_

_Ginny_

A year ago, although to no fault of Ginny’s own, Harry had tried to rip him and Albus apart. Sunk into a pit of despair, Scorpius had thought he might’ve never gotten the chance to speak to Albus again. And now...now he was receiving letters from Albus’ mother to ask him if he was alright. Albus’ mother—and his father now too, Albus always insisted, but Harry still terrified Scorpius—accepted him, and though he had technically known for months now, the irrevocable proof in front of him only made it feel more real. 

Scorpius blinked away tears as he reread the letter, trying to process each word as it sunk in.

“Are you crying?” Albus asked in concern, trying to look at the writing over Scorpius’ shoulder. He looked ready to rip the damn thing, which Scorpius would never let him do because he needed to have something left to frame. “What’d she say? Is it like last year again, because I swear, I’ll Floo home right now and give them all a piece of my mind...”

“No! No, it’s nothing like that,” Scorpius quickly said. He handed Albus the letter. “Quite the opposite, actually.” 

Albus’ frown slowly disappeared as he skimmed over the letter. When he looked back up, he was smiling so widely it must have hurt and if his eyes seemed wetter than before, then who was Scorpius to point it out. 

“So I take it this wasn’t your doing?” Scorpius asked although he wouldn’t really have cared if it had been. Just getting a letter from Ginny was enough; it meant she had genuinely wanted to ask him if she was okay. Scorpius didn’t think anyone in the world was strong enough to make Ginny Potter do something she didn’t want to. 

Albus shook his head. “Didn’t have a clue, although if I had known it would make you this happy, I would have asked years ago. She’s always liked you, you know.” 

Scorpius bit his lip, not trusting his voice to be steady enough to respond, and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. He looked around, but none of the team seemed to be paying any attention to them or Scorpius’ emotional outburst. Even Mya was distracted, talking to Eliana about something regarding Defense. He sighed in relief. 

“So Lily really made the team, then?” Albus asked, pride leaking into his voice. 

Scorpius nodded excitedly. “She wants to practice with me!” 

“I don’t want you guys to verse each other. I’m not going to be able to pick who I support more.” He paused. “Merlin, are you guys going to make your Puffs matching Quidditch robes?” 

Scorpius couldn’t stop smiling. “That’s a wonderful idea, Albus! I’ll make sure to ask Lily about it next time I see her. Maybe you can even help us design them.” 

“I just couldn’t keep my mouth shut could I?” Even Albus’ groaning sounded happy. “What have I gotten myself into?” 

“A lot.” Scorpius looked down the table at his new friends—they were friends now, right? At least on track to becoming friends, he hoped—arguing over the last strip of bacon, seconds away from it turning into a full-on wrestling match. “A lot.” 

_Lots of love._ The happiness he felt was infectious, growing from his stomach until it had enveloped him entirely and made him almost sick with delight, an evocation of the moment he had seen Albus on the train platform a week ago. He was stuck between wanting to laugh until his voice was hoarse and cry until he had run out of tears, both done with the fiercest joy. 

What he really needed was sleep and a cold dose of reality. Thank Merlin he had Charms first that morning. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s so many ocs in this chapter but I hope it’s not too boring and there’s enough Scorbus to make it worth it 
> 
> [tumblr](https://hyperiius.tumblr.com/)


	3. All it takes is you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small tw for slight violence and blood! It’s nothing bad (at least I don’t think so, it’s just some Scorpion King™ scenes so y’know,,) but better safe than sorry

He should’ve pretended to be sick. 

Lied about a headache, purposely drank a poorly made, but ultimately harmless, potion to upset his stomach, gotten bit by a Fire Crab in Care for Magical Creatures—anything to skip Defense. 

But as he watched the large wardrobe, whose outside seemed so wrongly harmless compared to what lay inside, Scorpius wasn’t so sure he would have to pretend anymore. 

His mind had gratuitously supplied him with a never-ending list of things his Boggart could be throughout the week leading up to their Defense lesson, each new idea worse than the last. It could be his dying mother, moaning in pain as she struggled to breathe in her hospital bed, or it could be Delphi, sneering at him as she tortured him on the Quidditch pitch. It could be the shape of a Dementor or Dolores Umbridge. Maybe it would be his father from the other world, the version of him that had no qualms about hurting Scorpius or innocent muggles alike, or possibly even Albus in Gryffindor robes. Scorpius thought of the tally marks he had carved into his old wand, a reminder of the days he had spent in Voldemort’s world and the other alternate version of their reality, both full of suffering and both without Albus by his side. He would always remember the pain and fear he had felt in those worlds. He was fifteen, maybe a bit clueless and with no real concept of time, but a life without Albus didn’t seem worth living. 

There were so many options, each representing their own special version of hell. Just thinking about seeing any of them again made Scorpius sick to his stomach and choke on the dread in his heart. 

He shuddered as the wardrobe shook violently, almost falling to the ground. 

“I’m sure Professor Chang would let you do this privately if you asked.” Albus’ soft voice cut through his thoughts. 

Scorpius shook his head. He was tempted to—it was taking all of his self-control not to run to the front of the classroom to beg Professor Chang to let him leave—but his pride kept him firmly seated. “Seems a bit cowardly for Malfoy the Unanxious to be scared by a set of drawers.” 

“There’s no shame in knowing your own limits, you know.” 

Scorpius rolled his eyes. “When’d you get so wise?” 

Albus grinned back. “Not sure, some time between being erased from existence and getting kidnapped.” His smile faltered and he quickly looked around to make sure no one had overheard. Thankfully, everyone was too busy paying attention to Professor Chang’s lecture on proper Boggart etiquette to give the two any notice. 

Delphi’s existence had become a tightly kept secret by the Ministry of Magic in fear that knowledge of her existence would cause a resurgence in Death Eaters, eager to find a new figurehead to rally behind after theirs had perished decades ago. The Ministry had even contemplated using the Obliviate Charm on Albus and Scorpius, but thank Merlin for Albus’ dad and Aunt protesting against it, as Scorpius wouldn’t put it past his own father to start a rebellion himself if the Ministry had tried to alter his son’s mind. 

“If only that wisdom came out when you try to write Transfiguration essays,” said Scorpius. 

Albus elbowed him in the side. “Oi! I’m getting better this year. At least I can Transfigure small objects now. Did you see me last week? My rat-cup was nearly perfect—”

“Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Potter, if you are so keen to discuss transfiguration, perhaps I should send you down to Headmistress McGonagall’s office?” Professor Chang interrupted. 

“Sorry, Professor,” Scorpius said guiltily as he turned his attention back to the front of the room, trying to ignore Polly Chapman and Karl Jenkin’s poorly stifled laughter. 

“I’m about to release the Boggart, and despite what you would believe, this isn’t supposed to be a funny lesson. I need everyone to be paying attention. Mr. Potter?” 

Albus’ voice was bored as he looked up from his doodling on the corner of his parchment. “Yes?” 

“What is the spell used to fend off a Boggart?” 

“Riddikulus,” he answered back, confident in a way that only the son of Harry Potter could be in a Defense Against the Dark Arts class. 

Professor Chang nodded. “Good. If things get too out of hand, I’ll banish it myself, but I want everyone to try it at least once today. Get in line and let’s get started.” 

Scorpius tried to return Mya’s nervous smile as he and Albus walked to the back of the line, but he was certain that it looked more like a pained grimace than anything. He could feel his breakfast threaten to make a reappearance as he heard the wardrobe shake again. 

Next to him, Albus wasn’t faring much better. While Scorpius’ anxiety was always more visible, Albus had started to retreat in on himself. He was paler than normal, and he kept nervously biting at his nails as the rest of the class quieted down, eager to begin the lesson. As discreetly as he could, Scorpius reached down to brush his fingers lightly against Albus’ freehand—a reminder that no matter what was about to happen, he would be there to support Albus through it. Always.

With a flick of Professor Chang’s wand, the doors to the wardrobe flew open and eight red eyes blinked back at the class. Scorpius felt a pang of jealousy as an enormous spider crawled out of the wardrobe and darted towards the shaking girl at the front of the line. What he wouldn’t do to be like that again, his only fears bugs and ripped books and the old paintings of his distant relatives that his father had hidden from him in the attic. 

The other students laughed as the girl shouted _“Riddikulus!”_ and ice skates appeared on the spider’s feet. It tripped over itself as the floor beneath it became a puddle of slippery black ice. Professor Chang smiled in approval, and the girl walked back to her desk. Rose stepped up to take her place. 

Rose stood confidently at the front of the class as the spider started to shake and shift. The ice melted away and a horrific scene of the Minister of Magic sobbing into her husband’s shoulder, clutching her arm tightly against her chest, appeared. Even the usually so proud and fearless Rose was shaken. She wavered, taking a step back as she watched the scene unfold in front of her in shock. Fearful whispers replaced the class’ laughter as everyone looked away, uncomfortable watching their Minister break down. 

The Boggart lasted only a second longer before Rose recollected her bearings and yelled out a determined _“Riddikulus!”_

Hermione stopped crying at once and pulled out a Chocolate Frog from a pocket in her robes and offered it to a laughing Ron beside her. It wasn’t very funny, but the class still chuckled awkwardly as Rose turned and made her way back to her seat, frowning in such a way that reminded Scorpius so much of his father’s expression when he noticed the prying stares when they went out in public. When Rose noticed him looking, she quickly schooled her face back to neutral and looked the other way. It made Scorpius’ heart twang in sympathetic pain. He knew what it felt like to see your parents in so much pain. He wished there was something he could do to help, to comfort her, but he knew Rose would be too proud to accept help from him _,_ so he turned politely back to the wardrobe. Hermione's shape shifted into a bloody clown as a Slytherin stepped up to face the Boggart. 

Scorpius had to look away during Mya’s turn when the Boggart faded into Candice falling off her broom and landing against the ground with a sickening crack. Mya never floundered, and easily cast the Boggart away, but he could see the shaken looks linger on the other Slytherins’ faces even after Boggart-Candice sprung up from the ground and started yelling about a foul that Clarke had caused. 

Banshees, Dementors, a Basilisk, more spiders, and even an overgrown Venomous Tentacula: none of their classmates’ Boggarts were particularly remarkable. Before either of them knew it, Scorpius and Albus were standing at the front of the line and facing the wardrobe for themselves. Albus stepped up to go first, but he faltered as he watched the remnants of the last Boggart disappear as it started to analyze him. 

Albus looked terrified as he stood by himself at the front of the class. Scorpius ached to run over and wrap him in a warm hug, to show him it was okay; he was there and he wouldn’t leave. 

Suddenly, the Boggart morphed in front of them and Albus let out a strangled gasp as he watched a familiar figure step out into the open. A terrified copy of Scorpius stared back, fighting helplessly against the golden rope binding his wrists together. Scorpius’ stomach dropped. 

“Scor?” Albus whispered, his arm falling to his side as he reflexively stepped forward to help his best friend. 

Scorpius could hear Karl Jenkins leer at him from the back of the line. 

Another person stepped out from behind Boggart-Scorpius, holding her wand against his neck as she taunted Albus.

“Won’t do as you’re told, Albie?” Delphi’s voice drawled. “Fine. _Crucio!_ ” 

Scorpius tried not to cry out as he watched the bogart version of himself crumble to the floor, screaming in agony as Delphi laughed. He could still remember so vividly what the second unforgivable curse had felt like, an echo ghosting across his skin as his Boggart-counterpart went still. 

_“Riddikulus!”_ Albus’ angry scream sent Delphi flying backward, turning her into a brightly-colored parrot as she hit the ground. Boggart-Scorpius stood up, the ropes morphing into a bag of Honeydukes candies. The room was dead silent as he started to animatedly argue about why Pepper Imps were far superior to Fizzing Whizzbees and Cauldron Cakes. Not even Professor Chang dared to speak as Albus took a deep breath and moved to the side, wiping angry tears from his eyes. 

The ache to run to his friend and hug him, to assure him that he was alright was back, but Scorpius stood frozen, too shaken to move, and with Albus out of the way, Scorpius and the parrot disappeared, turning into a dark mist as the Boggart pried its way into Scorpius’ head to find what would hurt him the most. 

Of all the things he had expected it to take shape as, the Scorpion King had been so far down the list he hadn’t thought it was a real possibility, not compared to what else it could have been. And yet, he wasn’t surprised to see the twisted version of himself materialize, standing proudly amidst a pile of bloody corpses on the classroom floor. He watched his own face twist into a sadistic smile as he wiped away the blood on his wand. 

Rose, Hugo, Candice, Mya, and Lily’s corpses were strewn across the floor, barely still recognizable in their bloodied robes. Scorpius’ blood ran cold as he took in the body the alternate version of himself stood so proudly over. 

Below the Scorpion King’s own foot, lay Albus, unmoving, facing away from the class. Without his occasional moans of pain, Scorpius would have never known he was still alive. Scorpius gasped in horror, dropping his wand as the crack of bone filled the room. The Scorpion King kicked Albus’ face over and over, yelling at him to be quiet until finally, Albus grew silent. Scorpius didn’t dare look up to see what the real Albus’ reaction was.

As if just realizing where he was, the Scorpion King looked up at Scorpius, his lips curling into a sick smile. 

“If it isn’t the greatest disgrace to the Malfoy name—the Mudblood sympathizer.” Scorpius’ usually cheery voice was replaced with a cold sneer, so devoid of love and warmth that it made the real Scorpius shiver as the Scorpion King took in his surroundings with an air of amused condescension. “This is why Grandfather can’t even look at you. You’re a disgrace to your heritage.” 

Each word felt like a knife being driven further into Scorpius’ heart. He fell to the floor, scrambling to find his wand without tearing his gaze away from the Scorpion King. He was too scared of what he would see if he turned back after looking away. 

“You’re so certain, so determined to prove to yourself that you and I are different people but you’re _wrong._ I know what you did while you were in my world.” the Scorpion King laughed as he looked down at Scorpius. “We’re not so different after all.” 

Scorpius accidentally hit his wand further away in his haste to grab it. He swore as the Scorpion King stepped forward. 

“I’m what could be—what _should_ be—always lurking in the shadows of your mind, and I will _never_ go away.”

He kicked Mya’s body aside as he walked closer. Scorpius could hear a shocked gasp come from behind him. He scrambled backward until his back hit a desk. He had reached a dead end and now he was completely at the Scorpion King’s mercy. 

The Scorpion King raised his wand and pointed it directly at Scorpius’ heart. “For Voldemort and valor. _Avada_ —”

“No!” the real, _living_ Albus yelled, jumping in front of Scorpius. Scorpius could only watch helplessly as the Scorpion King faded back into Delphi, and one Unforgivable was replaced with another. His Boggart-self’s screams echoed across the room. He closed his eyes, begging for it all to end. Distantly, he heard someone call out his name, but he was too dazed to respond. 

Professor Chang jumped in front of two. Before it could fully shift into her worst fear, she banished the Boggart back into the wardrobe. She sighed in relief as the lock clicked shut and turned back to the terrified class. No one, not even Karl or Polly, dared say a word. 

“I wasn’t—I didn’t—I had just expected a couple Basilisks and spiders...I didn’t think things were going to get so carried away...” Professor Chang said as she looked at Scorpius and Albus with concern.

When Albus gently placed a hand on Scorpius’ shoulder, Scorpius came to. He jumped, accidentally hitting his head against Albus’, but he was in too much of a panic to care about the stinging pain. He could feel his classmates’ stares burning into his back as he scrambled to his feet. He could already predict what conclusions everyone had jumped to. No one but Albus, and maybe Rose, had known what his Boggart had been, and thanks to the ministry, no one else ever would and Scorpius would have to take the fall for that. He stumbled, almost falling onto the floor again, as he shakily moved forward. He had to move, to run, to get away _now._

He could hear Albus and Professor Chang yelling at him as he shoved them aside and ran to the door, desperate to get away from where the Scorpion King had stood only minutes prior, his own screams still echoing in his ears. 

— 

For a magical castle with a never-ending maze of corridors, rooms, and moving staircases, there weren’t many places where someone like Scorpius could go to cry when he was at Hogwarts. Every corner of the castle always felt alive, both with magic and people, judging him for his weaknesses when he broke down. 

He had no idea where to go, and the longer he went running around the halls, the longer he tried to hold it all in, the more panicked he became. 

He was tempted to run into the prefects' bathroom, it should be empty during school hours, but on the off chance that someone like James or one of the Quidditch captains had skipped class, he couldn’t risk it. He didn’t want the other prefects to see him so weak when they expected him to be strong enough to hold authority over his classmates. 

The boy’s bathrooms would have been his next choice, but no matter the hour of the day or the floor he was on, there would _always_ be someone in there. Scorpius had made the mistake of crying in there once before when he had thought it was empty, but he had been mortified to learn that Tiberius Nott had been in a stall the whole time and had overheard almost the entirety of his mental breakdown. Though he had been kind enough to awkwardly Conjure Scorpius a handkerchief, his roommate had also avoided looking at the other boy for weeks in their dorm and they had definitely never spoken of the incident since. 

All of Scorpius’ normal places, like the library or the astronomy tower, would be overflowing with students during the day. His dorm room was off-limits. It would be the first place Albus would look. 

_Albus_.

Scorpius’ heart twisted painfully.

It would have been one thing to be humiliated in front of a class full of strangers, but it was another when _Albus_ had been watching. Albus had seen the Scorpion King for the first time, and though he had known of him, it wasn’t the same as witnessing the sadist of a person that Scorpius had the possibility to become—even _had_ been, in the other world—for himself. 

Albus had seen the absolute worst side of Scorpius, even if it _was_ just a Boggart, and had witnessed first hand how much of a filthy coward he was. 

Scorpius wasn’t sure he would still be willing to be friends with someone so messed up and _horrible_ either. 

His vision blurred with unshed tears as he rounded a corner, and he knew that if he didn’t find somewhere to hide soon, he’d end up sobbing in the middle of a corridor. 

He could almost just imagine the delight on Karl Jenkins’ face if he were to find him crying on the floor alone. 

It was a cruel twist of fate that he had ended up in front of _this_ bathroom. Simply looking at the door brought Scorpius back a flood of painful memories, but he knew that class would be over soon and someone was bound to find him, and at least this bathroom would be empty. 

No one ever came to the second-floor girl’s lavatory; even the most boring class imaginable was preferable to the shrill yelling. 

As quietly as he could, Scorpius pushed open the door and stepped inside. 

The bathroom was just as depressing as it had been with the other reality, perhaps more so without Albus by his side. It was warmer and much more humid than the rest of the school, and Scorpius could hear his feet splash against the ground as he walked in, the floor soaking wet from an overrunning sink. He wondered if the floor was ever dry in a place like this. The paint on the doors of the stalls was flaking and some of the doors were even broken, rotting with age on their hinges. The mirrors were even more cracked in their world than in the other reality, and everything seemed to be covered in a thick layer of dust. It was truly the last place in the world Scorpius wanted to be in, but it was all he had. 

It was overwhelming to be back in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom again. He leaned back against the door and fell to the ground. As he looked before him at the infamous circle of sinks, which held the entrance to both the chamber of secrets and the school’s pipes, he could almost imagine himself and Albus _Engorgio_ -ing the soap and showing the time turner to Myrtle. 

He couldn’t help but smile sadly. It had been his last few moments with Albus before they had accidentally erased him from existence, but at the time, he wasn’t thinking about the risks of time travel. He had only been able to focus on how happy he had been now that he could speak to his best friend again. After the never-ending pain and heartbreak of being ignored by Albus for weeks, it had felt like nothing, not even facing Voldemort himself, could have ever been as terrible. How wrong he had been in his foolish naïveté. 

At least this time he wouldn’t have to eat Gillyweed again. 

As he leaned back against the door, the tears he had been struggling to hold back since he first saw the boggart shift into his alternate self burst forth like an opened dam. 

Sobs racked Scorpius’ body as he buried his face into his knees. Any walls he had tried so desperately to build over the summer to protect himself when he returned to the place that had caused him so much pain the year before came crumbling down as he cried harder than he had in years. For all that he had cried in his life, he had only ever been like this once before, and even then he had had Albus and his father to comfort him.

But now, he was alone, sobbing in a girl’s bathroom as the fresh image of his friends’ bodies lingered in his mind. 

_It wasn’t real_ , he tried to remind himself. 

But it _had_ been, and could easily still be. 

Because that’s what the Scorpion King was. He wasn’t what was but he was always possible, always what _could_ be. He was a betrayal of every moral Scorpius held dear, of everything that his mother had taught him, and it terrified him to no end to think that such darkness could still be buried deep within his heart and might one day remerge again to hurt those he loved. 

And now, Albus, Mya, Rose, and dozens of his peers, who had finally started to see him as more than the son of Voldemort, had seen it too. 

His tears fell with renewed vigor as he imagined the possible reactions they could have when they saw him next. He’d be lucky to even be given the time of day. 

Across the bathroom, he heard the telltale shriek of Myrtle before he saw her. 

His heart dropped. As if he needed any more of a reason to be upset. 

“Oh, a pretty boy has found his way into my bathroom!” a shrill voice called loudly from behind a stall door. A translucent head peaked out and smiled happily, ignoring Scorpius’ disheveled state. “Oh, and a Malfoy! Certainly no Potter—really, please do bring one with you next time—but I’ve always been partial to blonde hair and steely grey eyes.”

She bit her lip and smirked at Scorpius. His skin crawled. 

“Moaning Myrtle,” Scorpius said, voice raw and weak, before he could stop himself. 

She could have brought the Bloody Baron to shame as she rounded on Scorpius, eyes bright with livid anger and face twisted into a scowl. 

“ _Moaning_ Myrtle? _”_ she cried as she stabbed an angry finger through Scorpius’ chest. “Do you really think _I’m_ the one moaning right now? It’s quite rude to come barging into someone’s bathroom and just start crying, you know, even if it _is_ whiny, moping, moaning Myrtle’s!” 

Scorpius held his hands up, trying to placate her before she tried to drown him in the sinks. “I’m sorry. Myrtle, your name is Myrtle. Myrtle Elizabeth, right?” 

Her frown melted into a pleased smile. She twirled proudly. “Exactly! It’s a pretty name, for a pretty girl.” 

Scorpius couldn’t help but snort, but he quickly tried to cover it with a cough as she started to scowl again. It was nice to know that at least one person was always the same, regardless of the reality. “Of course. I’m sorry.” 

“Good!” She nodded approvingly before smiling coyly at Scorpius. “Now what are you doing here, in my _girl’s_ bathroom?” 

“I…” Scorpius trailed off. He racked his brain for a believable excuse, but he found none. “We had to banish Boggarts in Defense this morning, and after what I saw...I just needed to get away from it all,” he answered truthfully, wiping away his tears.

“Did you see bullies?” Myrtle asked curiously, crouching beside Scorpius. “I’ve heard them talk about you, you know. Kids are cruel. It’s the one thing that never changes, no matter how much time has passed.” 

Scorpius’ laugh was hollow, self-deprecating. “No...No it was something worse. Much more evil, and my fault too.” 

“I doubt that,” she said. 

“It was, and I wasn’t even brave enough to stop it either. And now, the entire class knows about it and saw me mess up.” 

She shrugged flippantly, playing with her hair. “You aren’t the first.” 

“What?” 

“Lots of people, even some of the most talented witches and wizards you could think of, struggle to deal with a Boggart. It’s a _Boggart._ Aren’t you supposed to be bright? Boggarts are your worst fear—of course, it’s hard!” She rolled her eyes as if Scorpius was nothing more than a pesky child.

He frowned. “My worst fear is a lot worse than a spider or a snake, though.” 

“So? Dementors, snakes, a box full of puppies: it doesn’t matter _what_ it is if it still makes you feel the same emotions.” 

Scorpius was glad she was a ghost, or else the punch to his shoulder would have hurt a lot more. 

“And while I do look absolutely dashing for my age, I’ve been a ghost for years. I’ve seen things, and a kid being too afraid of his boggart to say Riddikulus,” she paused, waving her hand dramatically in the air as if she had a wand, “is hardly the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever witnessed. I don’t even know if I would have been able to banish my own Boggart—although that is one advantage of being a ghost. No Boggarts for you. Say, pretty boy, how about you become a ghost and join me here for the next few centuries?” She asked, far too provocatively for Scorpius’ comfort. 

“No.” Scorpius looked down at his body, still fully opaque and overly warm in the sticky humidity of the bathroom. “I haven’t gotten completely sick of the whole ‘being alive’ thing yet.” 

“Phooey!” she sighed, flying into one of the stalls across the room. A spray of water came soaring up from behind the stall door. Myrtle floated out innocently, smiling as if nothing were wrong. She paused for a moment, a thankfully silent moment, as she studied Scorpius. Her smile dropped and she floated closer. 

“Well, I certainly can’t banish your Boggart for you, but I _can_ mope with you. They don’t call me Moaning Myrtle for nothing. I could even ‘cry’ enough tears to fill the hallway if you’d like.”

She dropped to the floor across from Scorpius, crossing her legs as she winked at him.

Scorpius gave her a weak, half-hearted smile. “I think crying, letting it all out would be good.” 

“Good,” she clapped in delight. “Then let’s get started shall we?” 

— 

When Scorpius finally emerged from the girl’s bathroom, it was long past class hours, and from what he could tell as he passed by the dining hall, apparently dining hours too. He was too exhausted to bother trucking down to the Kitchens and begging the house elves for scraps from dinner; he’d just have to hope that his secret stash of Chocolate Frogs would be enough to last him until morning. 

Bollocks. He’d still have to deal with inevitable jeering remarks or fearful looks in the morning. He wasn't sure which were worse. 

While he had hoped he would be able to quickly walk through the Slytherin common room and sneak into his dorm unnoticed, he was almost tackled to the ground by a blur of green and black as soon as he entered the common room. 

“Scorpius!” Albus cried as he pulled him into a crushing hug. “I was about to tell a teacher you’d gone missing.” 

Scorpius practically sagged against Albus, taking in the shock that Albus wasn’t shoving him away in disgust, but _hugging_ him. “I’m so sorry for running out and worrying you like that. I just needed time to cry and let it all out. I didn’t think seeing him would affect me like that but…” 

“It’s okay, I’m just—I'm glad you’re back now.” 

Scorpius breathed in the familiar smell of potions smoke and peppermint, the smell of comfort, safety, and love, as he threw his arms around his best friend’s neck. He hadn’t realized how much he needed an Albus-hug until then.

“Are you okay? Where the hell did you go?” Albus asked once they’d finally pulled away. “Mya, Lily, and I spent all afternoon searching but we still couldn’t find you.” 

“I’m better now. I went down to Myrtle’s bathroom.” Scorpius avoided looking at Albus as they started to walk back to their dorm. The ancient stone floors really were fascinating if one took the time to look at them...

He could hear Albus’ smile drop. “You went to _Moaning Myrtle’s_ bathroom?” 

“Yeah. I hadn’t been since last year, and I figured it was probably the most private place I could find in the castle, short of McGonagall’s office. I’m sorry.” 

Albus squeezed his arm. “You have nothing to apologize for. If it helped you, then I’m glad. I just wasn’t expecting you to go back there again after last year.” 

“Well, I figured if we were airing out all our dirty laundry from last year, might as well visit it again. Myrtle isn’t bad company when you just want to cry either.” 

Albus laughed. “I’ll take your word for it.” He pushed open the door to their dorm. 

Scorpius immediately made a beeline for his bed, dropping his bag onto the floor and flinging himself onto the mattress. He was exhausted, about to excuse himself to sleep away hopefully the entirety of the rest of the school year when his stomach grumbled loudly.

“I’m guessing I missed dinner?” he asked, embarrassed. 

Albus nodded. “Sorry, I tried to sneak some bread up for you but Nevi—Professor Longbottom caught me. I do have some leftover Fizzing Whizzbees in my trunk if you’d like, or I could run down to the kitchens to get you some real food.” 

“Eating candy for dinner is more than fine by me.” Scorpius gave Albus a small smile as the other boy leaned over his trunk, searching its messy contents for the candy. 

“I wish you’d been there at dinner, though,” Albus said as he searched through his trunk. “Candice almost got into a fight with Chapman and Jenkins.” 

Scorpius raised an eyebrow. “ _Candice Chang_ almost got into a fight with Polly and Karl?” 

“Yep!” Albus grinned. “The entire Slytherin Quidditch team did, really. They overheard Polly and Karl laughing about your Boggart and calling you Voldemort’s son again. They weren’t having any of it. Flint seemed pretty pissed, too—she threatened to hex Polly’s hair off if she ever insulted you again.” 

Scorpius’ mouth opened and closed, unable to find the right words to express the sheer shock and gratitude he felt towards his new friends. 

“I’ll...I’ll have to thank them tomorrow,” he settled on finally, although he had no idea how we would be able to properly thank anyone for risking their own reputation and standing up for him.

Albus hummed in agreement. “Lily, too. When she saw Mya and I searching for you, she insisted on tagging along, even if it meant skipping her last class.” Albus nudged Scorpius. “Tell me, when did you get so popular?” 

“Girls just can’t resist a Quidditch player, can they?” Scorpius joked half-heartedly.

“ _Please_ don’t tell me you’ve moved on from my cousin to my _sister_!” Albus gagged, throwing the bag of candy at Scorpius. “Malfoy the insatiable, with a Weasley fetish, who would have thought we’d see the day—”

“ _No_! Lily’s great—all of your family is, really—and I like her a lot, but as a _friend._ That’s it.Sisters are off-limits—even _I_ know that.” 

“But cousins aren’t?” 

Scorpius could feel his face flush. 

“ _Albus_!”

Albus laughed, collapsing onto the bed beside Scorpius. When he didn’t stop, Scorpius hit him with his pillow.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry! I’ll stop!” Albus wheezed as he put his hands up to block the pillow. 

With a final hit, Scorpius relented and tossed the pillow back onto the bed. He focused on downing the rest of the Fizzing Whizzbees as quickly as he could so he could just get to bed and forget today had ever happened already. 

He looked up to see Albus, staring at him from across the bed, giving him such a genuine smile of happiness that it made Scorpius feel dizzy and his stomach turn. Maybe he did have a thing for Weasleys, but it wasn’t his fault that they were funny, and gave good hugs, and had lots of freckles. 

If only his grandfather could see him now. 

“What?” he asked, self consciously reaching up to mess with his hair. 

“Nothing,” Albus said quietly, “it’s just nice to see you so happy again after this morning.” 

Scorpius smiled and leaned his head against Albus’ shoulder, the most relaxed he’d been that day. He could have fallen asleep right then and there, but what if one of their roommates walked in? There were already enough rumors about his and Albus’ relationship, he didn’t want to make it worse. 

Albus gently shook his shoulder to make Scorpius sit up. “I think you need to get some sleep, Scor.” 

Scorpius yawned in agreement. 

Albus carefully laid Scorpius down on his pillow and tucked him into the green comforter. Normally, Scorpius would have protested. He wasn’t a baby, he didn’t appreciate being infantilized, but Albus was being so gentle and loving, he couldn’t bring himself to interrupt. 

When Albus decided that Scorpius seemed comfortable enough, he pulled away and looked at him carefully. Scorpius squirmed under his friend’s intense gaze. He felt so extremely exposed as Albus seemed to study every detail of his face until he found whatever answers he was looking for and turned away. 

“Goodnight, Scorpius,” he whispered, almost reluctantly as he started to stand up. 

“‘Night, Al,” Scorpius yawned back. 

With a final nod, Albus closed Scorpius’ curtains behind him and walked to his own bed, leaving Scorpius to fall back into the dark clutches of sleep. 

— 

_He’s awakened by anguished voices screaming his name._

_Around him, piles of bodies litter the floor._

_He can barely breathe, overwhelmed by the suffocating stench of blood and burning flesh._

_He tries to ignore the telltale squelch of blood below his feet as he walks over to the closest mound of bodies._

_He regrets it immediately._

_“No…” He whispers as he falls back against the wet ground. “No!”_

_Before him laid the bodies of everyone close to him, so similar to his Boggart but so much worse._

_James, Albus, and Lily, the fear forever etched onto their faces as they held each other tight in their last moments._

_Candice, in her bloody Quidditch robes, still clutching her sister’s corpse._

_Draco, pressing one last kiss to his wedding ring as he bled out._

_Rose, the anger and fear on her face still so clear even with the life drained from her eyes._

_The rest of the Quidditch team, each of their limbs and necks bent at unnatural angles, strewn haphazardly around the floor._

_Even Polly Chapman, who seemed to have been trying to desperately crawl away from him before her back had been snapped._

_And behind them, more bodies lay, each uniquely contorted and bloody, taking the shape of every person Scorpius has met at Hogwarts, in his life._

_He screams, falling to the floor. His robes grew heavy with the blood of all those dear to him._

_“You did this to them,” a familiar voice crone behind him, girly and shrill._

_“No!” he tries to yell back, but his voice is weak and powerless, barely able to be heard over the sound of screams in the distance._

_“You did,” the voice assures him. “And in time, you’ll spill even more blood.”_

_“No! I won’t, I won’t, I won’t, I won’t,_ I won’t _!” he shouted, but his throat fills with blood the more he tries to fight back._

_He practically chokes trying to cough it back up._

_He can’t help but pray to whatever gods above that it’s his own blood._

_Please. Let it be his own._

_“If you won’t, then you’re no longer useful to me,” the voice speaks again, and it’s like nails on a chalkboard, his own personal narrator of hell._

_“I don’t want to be useful to a sadist like you.”_

_Dolores tuts in disapproval as she makes her way around to his front. He doesn’t look up, doesn’t need to know she’s wearing that sadistic smile he sees in his nightmares, tormenting him in his dreams._

_“It’s such a shame that someone so strong, so powerful, could fall so low. Crying over the lives of weak Mudbloods and Blood-Traitors, like they’re worth anything.”_

_He’s almost thankful, almost cries in relief, when she turns her wand to him._

_He deserves this._

_“Avada Kedavra!”_

— 

Scorpius awoke with a start. 

Tears were streaming down his cheeks, a strangled mix of a sob and a scream still stuck in his throat. He kicked his comforter off of him. 

Faintly, he could hear the sound of waves lapping at the windows of the dorm, and he knew it was just water, just the lake he had walked by so many times with Albus and Lily. He _knew_ but in the dark, it looked so much like blood, so much like his dream. He felt trapped, stuck kilometers below fresh air in a dingy dungeon submerged below a lake,and surrounded by sea creatures he was certain would kill him without a second thought. 

And he wasn’t allowed to leave. 

Beyond his curtains, he heard sheets rustle and hushed whispers. _Shit._

There was a faint shuffling before his curtains were pulled back and his bed was flooded by wand light. 

The remnants of his nightmare, of everyone being reduced to bloodied messes of mangled limbs because of _him,_ still clung to his mind as he blinked. He could barely make out the face of the person that had sat on the edge of his bed. _Albus._ Scorpius could cry with relief. 

He threw himself at his best friend, tangling his fingers in his shirt, his hair, brushing the exposed skin of his neck. He couldn’t help it, he needed contact; something undeniably real and solid ground him, to remind him that they were still alive, despite their misadventures. He needed _Albus._

“You guys can go back to sleep, I’ll handle this,” he heard Albus whisper behind him. When he looked up, he saw their other roommates crowded around his bed, looking down at him with mixed looks of tired confusion and concern. 

Scorpius’ cheeks burned with embarrassment. Immediately, he started to pull away, but Albus’ arms wrapped around him, keeping him pressed safely against his chest. 

He barely registered the curtains closing or Albus whispering a quick Silencing Charm to give them some semblance of privacy as their roommates hobbled back to bed. He shivered and leaned his forehead against Albus’ shoulder, trying to focus on the sound of his breathing as they fell back against the mattress. 

Scorpius sunk into the familiar warmth of his best friend’s arms as Albus gently shifted their position, his grip on Scorpius never faltering as he threw the comforter around their bodies. Truthfully, Scorpius didn’t care what position they were in as long as Albus was still there. The tears that had been quietly falling down his cheeks came back at full force as he took in the familiar presence of his best friend, the person who had given him the strength to go through hell and back. He should have been out of tears after all he had cried that day, but the sobs kept coming as he buried his face in the crook of Albus’ neck. 

“It’s okay,” Albus said as he pulled Scorpius closer until no part of them wasn’t touching anymore. “It’s alright, we’re both safe.” 

Even hearing those words come from Albus himself wasn’t enough to break Scorpius out of his state. If anything, his sobs only worsened as he imagined the possibilities of different timelines without Albus, or the worst ones of all, where _Scorpius_ had killed him. 

As if he could sense where Scorpius’ thoughts were spiraling, Albus pulled away. Before Scorpius could protest at the severed contact, Albus gently took his hand and guided it to his heart, letting Scorpius feel the steady rhythm in no danger of going out for himself. “I’m alive, Scorpius, I’m right here.” 

The raw vulnerability of the gesture, of being allowed to touch Albus in such a way brought new, different tears to his eyes. 

Albus’ gaze was firm and unwavering, full of undeniable love that assured Scorpius that _he was okay, this was all going to be okay._

The way Albus was looking at him, the comforting feeling of his embrace, Albus’ strong heartbeat against his palm...it was too much for Scorpius, he buried his face back against Albus’ neck, overwhelmed in every way and too exhausted to do much else but cry helplessly onto Albus’ shoulder. 

They stayed like that a long time, Albus holding him close, against his heart, as Scorpius cried until his tears tapered off and his breath evened out. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered as Albus gently stroked his knuckles with his thumb. 

“It’s okay, it’s not your fault, Scor.” 

“No, but it’s not fair to you that you have to lose sleep because I’m being a baby. You saw your Boggart today too, I’m being selfish. _And_ I woke up everyone else, too. Just as they were starting to warm up to us, this happens and I know everyone’s going to want to hex me in the morning and I still don’t know how I’m supposed to show my face at breakfast tomorrow after Defense—” Albus’ hand stilled and Scorpius’ heart nearly stopped. “I’m so sorry—you can go back to your bed if you want, I don’t want to be a burden—”

Albus gently pressed a finger to Scorpius’ lips to cut him off. “Scorpius, everyone was worried when they heard you scream. No one—except maybe for Goyle, but he’s full of shit anyways—cared about being woken up. They just wanted to make sure you were okay. I couldn’t care less that you woke me up, especially if it’s my fault that you’re having nightmares in the first place.” 

Scorpius sighed and pushed Albus’ hand away. It was a familiar argument for the both of them, whether or not last year really was all Albus’ fault, and he was too mind-numbingly exhausted to get into a debate about it at this hour. “Albus, you didn’t Imperius me to jump off the train with you. I chose _willingly_ to travel back in time with you, and while there’s a lot of things I regret about last year, making sure you were safe is not one of them.” 

To Scorpius’ surprise, Albus didn't immediately retort back like he always did. He hesitated before speaking again, much quieter than before. “I get them too. I know what it’s like.” 

Scorpius looked up. “You do?” 

“Yeah. It’s been getting better, they’re less regular now, but every once in a while they come back and I can’t fall asleep for days afterward because I’m so afraid of what I’ll see when I close my eyes.” 

His voice broke and it was Scorpius’ turn to tighten his grip on the other boy. 

“Albus…” Scorpius breathed, tearing up again. “Why didn’t you tell me?” 

“I didn’t want to worry you, especially now that it’s getting better. I knew you were working through your own issues, and I didn’t want to be selfish.” 

“Albus, if you aren’t okay, and it gets so bad that you can’t sleep for _days,_ I want to be there for you. No one should have to go through that alone, especially not when their best friend is just feet away.” 

“Then why didn’t you tell me about your nightmares?” Albus said stubbornly. 

Scorpius sighed. “We’re both idiots and should have said something.” 

They sat in silence for what felt like hours, unable to find the words to properly express what they wanted to say, the messy mix of feelings and emotions between them practically tangible. Scorpius tried to ignore the pressing concerns growing inside his head that maybe the reason Albus hadn’t gone to him in the first place was that he didn’t trust him, or that he was a bad friend for never noticing in the first place, and instead tried to focus on the patterns against that Albus had started to trace on the back of Scorpius’ hand, still pressed firm against his heart. 

“Let’s promise that next time something like this happens, we’ll both go to each other,” Albus' voice finally broke the tension, quiet but steadfast as his fingers gripped Scorpius’. 

Scorpius agreed without hesitation. “I promise.”

And with a satisfied hum, Albus leaned his head down on Scorpius’. 

This time, the silence wasn’t uncomfortable as they relaxed against each other. Scorpius finally let his hand drop from Albus’ heart, instead opting to wrap his arms around his waist, pulling them into a much more comfortable position. He expected Albus to pull away and walk back to his bed, but he only curled closer to Scorpius. 

He allowed himself to enjoy the fuzzy, tired feelings in his chest as he soaked in the warmth of his friend’s embrace for a few, lingering moments before his worries started to nag at him again. 

“Please don’t think I’m complaining, because this is really nice, although I do wish it were under better circumstances, but shouldn’t you go back to your own bed before you fall asleep?” 

Albus didn’t budge. “Do you want me to leave?” 

Scorpius didn’t hesitate before shaking his head. “Not particularly.”

“Then I’ll stay here,” Albus said simply. 

“What about tomorrow?” 

“With our shared body heat, at least we won’t be cold in the morning.” 

Scorpius sighed in exasperation. “Albus, what if one of our roommates says something?” 

“After tonight? I dare them.” 

Scorpius hummed in agreement, but he still wasn’t fully convinced. 

“Listen,” Albus said, “if you want me to go back to my bed, I will. I’ll even keep my curtains open so you can still see that I’m in there. I don’t want to push your boundaries and make you uncomfortable.” 

“You’re not—I really don’t mind,” Scorpius assured him, pressing his head against Albus’ chest. 

“Then I’m staying here for the night and hopefully it can help us both get a peaceful night’s rest.” And with that conviction, Albus adjusted his legs—still fully entangled with Scorpius’—and closed his eyes. 

Scorpius was too exhausted to continue fighting him on it; once Albus was convinced, there was nothing that could change his mind, so he let the issue rest. Scorpius pulled him closer, desperate to just feel Albus. He wished he could extend the night, even just by a few seconds, so he could treasure the feeling of being wrapped in Albus’ arms a little longer. 

Scorpius let the safety of Albus’ embrace and the soft sound of his breathing lull him into a dreamless sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tbh I think this might be my favorite chapter in the fic, I’m a sucker for boggart-related angst and some good ol hurt/comfort  
>    
> I never thought I’d ever end up writing anything with Moaning Myrtle if I’m honest, I hope I wrote her okay
> 
> Thank you so much for all the nice comments on last weeks chapter <3 
> 
> [tumblr](https://hyperiius.tumblr.com/)


	4. To make a kingdom

The feeling of Albus’ body pressed tightly against his when he awoke was like the settling of something that they had been building up to for years. Really, it had been inevitable. They had only shared a bed a few times, back during the start of first year when they were both still home-sick and terrified, but, if anything, it was a surprise that they hadn’t taken back to it last year. 

Albus was already awake, his hand tracing faint patterns up and down Scorpius’ back. Constellations, Scorpius’ mind supplied when he felt Albus draw the distinct shape of Leo along his shoulder. Scorpius breathed in happily and pressed closer to Albus’ chest, their bodies still entangled together from the night before. 

Not even his dreams could do the sensation of waking up in Albus’ arms justice. He felt safe and warm, happy in a way he hadn’t been since he had first seen Albus re-emerge from the lake the year before. It was probably overly intimate, definitely new ground even for the two of them, but he could get used to this. 

When he opened his eyes, Albus was watching him with such a gentle expression, it took all of Scorpius’ self-control not to kiss him senseless then and there. Albus’ eyes were still half shut from sleep and his hair looked like a bird’s nest gone wrong, but Scorpius wanted nothing more than to card his fingers through the messy brown locks, which he smugly knew were as soft as they looked. 

“Good morning,” Albus greeted, his voice still thick with sleep. 

“What time is it?” Scorpius asked through a yawn, rubbing his eyes. 

“No clue.” 

Neither made an effort to tear themselves apart to check the dormitory’s clock. They lied in silence for a moment longer, unsure of how to continue now that they were both awake. Scorpius hated waking up late, it felt like he was wasting time he could have spent reading books or studying, but now, lying so comfortably beside Albus, he could have stayed there for the rest of the day—year, even. Any time not spent dedicated to Albus Potter was a waste, but he knew they were resting on borrowed time. He could hear their roommates getting ready behind his curtains, and he knew that they’d have to get up soon if they wanted any hope of getting breakfast before class. 

Their roommates. Scorpius dreaded to think of what their reactions would be. Waking everyone up in the middle of the night was rude, nightmares or not, and he and Albus had both certainly outgrown the appropriate age to still share a bed. 

Reluctantly, Scorpius kicked their blanket off the bed, exposing them both to the cold morning air of the dungeons. Albus all but shrieked and buried his face into Scorpius’ shoulder. 

“What the hell’d you do that for?” Albus groaned and _Merlin_ , Scorpius could feel his lips moving against the thin fabric of his shirt, and _fuck_ he needed to get out of the bed before another kind of problem arose. 

“We need to get up, Albie.” He thought of the day before, to their Defense lesson and Delphi, and immediately regretted the choice in nickname. “Allie. Albus. Al.” 

Albus’ amused snort was muffled against his shoulder. “Do we?” 

“Yes, stop trying to find excuses to skip class.” 

Though he’d been the one pushing for them to get ready, Scorpius tried to ignore the tinge of disappointment in his heart as Albus pulled away. His stomach growled loudly as he sat on the edge of the bed and stretched. 

Scorpius sat up beside him, running his hand through his own sleep mussed hair. “Do you think we missed breakfast?” 

Albus shook his head. 

“Then we better head out before everything gets cold,” he tried to act as cheerful as he normally was in the morning, but it was painfully forced. Albus just hummed noncommittally as he tried to fix his hair. Scorpius sighed and started to slip off the bed, but an arm reached out to stop him. 

“Are you okay?” 

Scorpius wondered how Albus could still look at him with such tenderness, like he was something precious to be revered, when he had seen for himself just how much darkness laid in Scorpius’ heart only the day before. 

His hand instinctively landed on Albus’ own. Holding hands was a thing they did now too, he supposed. 

“Yes,” Scorpius promised, and he meant it. He wasn’t great, he’d probably have nightmares for weeks to come, but he was worlds better and he would take what he could get. The day would be far from good, he hated to think of how his classmates, already so suspicious of his lineage, would react to having seen such a thing, but as he sat next to Albus, safe in his bed, he couldn’t find it within himself to worry.

Albus was there. It would be okay. 

Albus didn’t look convinced. “No new nightmares?” 

“Not after you…” Scorpius trailed off, unsure of what to call this _._ Sleeping together held certain— _connotations_ , but an impromptu sleepover was too casual for what it had been. Maybe they didn’t need to label it, but it certainly didn't feel like nothing. “Yeah, no new nightmares,” he finished lamely. 

Albus looked like he wanted to press the issue, but Scorpius tightened his grip on his hand, and after a long moment, he nodded with hesitant satisfaction. 

“Good,” he whispered and gave Scorpius’ shoulder one last comforting squeeze before he stepped out of the curtains. “Last one to breakfast has to let the other copy their Transfiguration essay.” 

Scorpius heard the loud _clunk_ of a trunk shutting and the hurried footsteps of Albus rushing to the bathroom. 

“Albus, that’s not fair!” he yelled back, already chasing after him, the previous night’s pain already melting away. 

—

“I think I’m going to join the potions club.” 

Scorpius looked up from his eggs. 

Barely making it down in time to eat, they had decided to sit by themselves that morning, too tired to deal with the rambunctiousness of the Quidditch team.

“Really?” 

“Yeah, I mean, you have Quidditch and your prefect duties, so I figured I might as well join a club, too.” 

“Good.” Scorpius set his fork down. “You’re wonderful at potions, I’m surprised you didn’t join before.” 

“They got a new member—some Ilvermorny transfer. He’s a friend of James, so he’s probably a git, but I heard he’s some kind of potions whizz and I wanted to see if I could learn anything from him.” Albus shrugged and took a sip of his coffee. 

Scorpius smiled. “Albus? Wanting to learn something? My geekiness must be rubbing off.” 

“Sod off,” Albus elbowed him in the side, too softly to have any malicious intent. “I can be studious when I want to be.” 

Scorpius laughed and turned back to his food. He tried to ignore the strange looks from his classmates as he ate, but he knew the story of his Boggart had spread around the school, bringing with it dozens of questions and ludicrous theories as to what he had seen. The gossip wasn’t even an accurate account of what had happened, but that made no difference. No one knew the full story except for Rose, and maybe Lily, definitely James, but he doubted even the full story would help. The school knowing that he really had worked for Voldemort in some alternate timeline would only cause more problems. 

Albus made a point of glaring at anyone who whispered too loudly or made their staring too apparent, but even his unspoken threats didn’t stop them from talking. 

They were packing up their things and preparing to head to class when Albus stopped dead in his tracks. 

“ _Shit_ ,” he whispered, and before Scorpius could chastise him for the language, he looked up apologetically. “I left my Charms textbook back in our dorm.” 

“I’ll go with you to get it,” Scorpius said without hesitation. 

“It’d look bad if a prefect showed up late to class, wouldn’t it?” Albus asked, and Scorpius paused. 

Albus was right, but after yesterday, Scorpius wasn’t sure if he could bring himself to leave his side so soon. They had spent the morning practically joined at the hip, he didn’t want that to end now. 

As if he could read Scorpius’ thoughts, Albus placed a gentle hand on his arm.

“I’ll be as quick as I can,” he promised, “it’ll only take a few minutes.”

“Okay.” Scorpius offered him a forced smile. “I’ll make sure to save you a seat, and try not to get detention please.” 

Albus gave his hand one last comforting squeeze before he turned and raced back towards the Dungeons. Scorpius sighed and left the Dining Hall, walking as quickly as he could to avoid anyone stopping him in the hall. 

Without Albus at his side, the whispers and glares only worsened. Students stared openly as he walked by, reminiscent of the way everyone had treated him in his first year. Scorpius tried to keep his head up, to hide behind a mask of cool indifference, but each malicious taunt and joke crumbled more and more of what was left of his confidence and self-esteem. 

When he walked into the Charms room, it felt as if every eye was trained on him. He wasn’t so self-absorbed as to truly believe everyone really was, but it _felt_ as if everyone in the room was watching, wary of the moment he would break and hex them all, and it was enough to make him want to run back to the dorms and hide until the winter holidays when he could go home and never return. 

He’d barely made it to his desk before Mya came rushing up to him. Scorpius froze as she pulled him into a tight hug, ignoring the blatant stares of their classmates. 

When she pulled away, she shot a nasty glare at another girl gaping nearby. 

“I’m sorry, I’m just glad to see you’re okay.” She frowned. “ _Are_ you okay?” 

“I’m fine,” Scorpius assured her. He smiled back gratefully. “Albus told me you helped him look for me yesterday. Thank you for that. You didn’t have to.” 

Mya waved it off. “I wanted to.” 

“Still,” Scorpius pressed, “thank you.” 

“Where were you, though? We searched all afternoon and still found nothing.” 

“Oh, just one of the bathrooms…” he said quietly, rubbing his arm. 

Mya nodded, almost knowingly, and he frowned. He hated to think of any of his friends crying in a bathroom, feeling as awful as he had. 

“I won’t ask about what you saw. It looked incredibly personal, and it’s not fair of me to pry, but I just want you to know that we’re here for you. Obviously Lily and Albus are—I’ve never seen anyone look as worried as they did yesterday, especially Albus—but I am, too. If you want. The rest of the Quidditch team, too. We saw how awful some of the other kids were being, and we definitely won’t have anyone treating one of our own like that. If anyone tries to insult or hex you, please tell us. We’ll set them straight.” 

He was at a loss for words, and he could feel himself tearing up again as she smiled back with the kind of determination that Scorpius had learned from Albus meant nothing good, but still left him overwhelmingly _happy_ because of how much his friends cared for him. 

“Mya…” He took a deep breath. For someone so prone to rambling, words were failing him. “ _Thank_ _you_.” He tried to put as much meaning and conviction as he could into the words, to make it clear to her how much her kindness, her time, her friendship, really did mean to him. 

She shrugged. “That’s what friends do.”

Someone behind them cleared their throat. 

Scorpius turned, expecting to see Albus, but instead saw Rose with her arms crossed and a scowl that reminded him so much of Albus when he was mad. 

“Hi, Rose,” he said, trying not to stumble over his words. He may not have had a crush on her anymore, but she was still Rose Granger-Weasley, and she was still absolutely _terrifying_ to talk to. 

“Hello,” Mya greeted nicely, and Scorpius saw Rose start to soften. He supposed it was a start—at least she’d be less likely to insult him with a fellow prefect around. 

“Sorry, Mya, is it alright if I talk to Scorpius for a moment?” Rose asked, curt and formal, as if she were talking to a teacher. 

“Of course,” Mya said. “I’ll see you at Quidditch, Scorpius,” she added, before walking back to her desk. 

Rose stood stubbornly for a moment, glaring at her shoes, before she reluctantly sat down next to Scorpius, in Albus’ seat. Scorpius’ smile faltered. As nice as it would be to properly talk to Rose and maybe give her a reason to like him, he didn’t think he’d be able to handle sitting an entire lesson next to her as she angrily stared down at the desk like it’d personally wronged her. 

“Can I help you with anything?” he tried to ask. “If you’re looking for Albus, he went to grab his textb—”

“I’m not here for Albus.” She smoothed a wrinkle in her skirt, avoiding Scorpius’ eyes. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“ _Me?”_ His squawk of disbelief was possibly the least dignified he had ever sounded. 

Rose nodded, frowning. “Don’t act so surprised.” 

“Right.” Scorpius laughed nervously, wringing his hands in his lap. “What’s wrong?” 

She glanced around to make sure no one was listening in on their conversation. 

“Yesterday, was that the Scorpion King?” she asked quietly.   
  
Scorpius swallowed, hard. He nodded, and Rose pursed her lips. 

“That was how you were in…?” she trailed off, but Scorpius didn’t need her to fill in the blank.

Again, he nodded. 

Rose took a deep breath, and Scorpius tried not to grimace at how pained she sounded. He didn’t think he was _that_ bad of company. 

“I have an apology to make,” she said, finally turning to Scorpius. “I should have done this long ago. I’m sorry. For everything. For being rude to you on the train when we met, for assuming you really were the son of Voldemort, for ignoring Albus for being your friend, for calling you Scorpion King, for watching as the other kids made your lives living hell and doing nothing to stop it.” She looked ready to cry. 

“Rose, it’s okay.” 

“No!” she shouted, but immediately, she looked guilty.

One of their classmates turned to see what the commotion was about, but when he saw Rose’s angry scowl, he quickly turned back around. 

She took a deep breath. Far more quietly than before, she tried again.

“No. Please. Let me say this.” 

Her bitter, self-deprecating laugh filled Scorpius with unease. Rose was usually so confident, so sure of herself and everything she stood for, to hear her sound so despondent felt wrong. 

“I still need to talk to Albus, apologize to him too but I needed to say sorry to you first. I’ve treated you horribly throughout the years, and I justified it by making you this villainous Death Eater spawn that stole my cousin, my _best friend,_ away from me in my head,” she clenched her fists so tightly Scorpius worried her nails might draw blood, “but now I see that’s just not true. Never has been and never will be. You’re just too damn _nice_.” Her voice broke, and she wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her jumper. “And it took me seeing _him_ to realize, Merlin, I completely understand if you throw this apology back in my face.” 

Scorpius’ head spun as he tried to take in her words.

For years, an apology, a simple acknowledgment of existence from Rose besides cruel scorn had been all that he—and Albus, not that he would ever admit it—had wanted, and he was unsure of how to react now that it was finally happening. 

“I’m not going to do that, Rose,” Scorpius said, as kindly as he could. 

She looked at him through scrutinizing, disbelieving eyes that hurt his heart. 

“I won’t lie to you, it hurt. It really, _really_ hurt, especially the first few years. Especially for Albus, even if he’s too stubborn to say it. But you’re apologizing, and by doing so, promising to be better, and I can’t hold that against you.” 

She frowned. “Sorry doesn’t make it better, though.”

“That’s true. It also won’t mean much if you don’t actually change,” he added, despite his better judgment, but Rose didn’t argue back. “But it’s more than I ever expected, if I’m honest, and I’m glad that you’re doing it, and I know Albus will be too.” 

Rose sniffled. “You’re too nice, you know that?” 

“Yeah, but it’s better than the alternative, so…” he shrugged. 

She leaned back in her chair, much more relaxed than before. “Albus really doesn’t deserve you.” 

Scorpius cracked a smile. “I’m his better half.”

“You don’t say?” 

He shrugged. “I imagine he’ll probably curse a lot more, he might even get mad at you at first, but I think it’s important you apologize to him too.” 

“I know,” she sighed, “and I will, after class. I want to fix this.” 

“Good,” he paused. “But I should probably apologize to you, too.” 

She looked at him in surprise. “Why?” 

“For asking you out all those times.” 

“Oh.” Rose took Scorpius’ quill and mindlessly played with its feathers. “Yeah, that was frustrating. And confusing. I was nothing but mean to you, yet you wouldn’t stop. I never got that.” 

Scorpius rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I don’t even think I can justify it myself.” 

“You’re weird,” she said, but it lacked her usual bite. “We’re past that though, right?” 

He nodded, maybe a little too enthusiastically. “Of course.” 

She had a knowing glint in her eyes. Scorpius blushed in embarrassment. Rose was a smart girl. If Lily had figured it out, he was certain she had too. 

Rose pushed her chair back. “Well, just so you know, for future reference, being compared to bread? Not romantic. Not in the slightest.” 

“Bread is _good,_ though!” he bit his cheek to stop himself from smiling. It felt good to joke around, to really _talk_ with Rose after years of desperately trying to with no avail. 

“Not as a way to woo someone!” She shook her head in exasperation. “ _Bread._ I’m not getting over that. By far the worst pickup line I’ve ever heard!”  
  
“Been hearing a lot of those, have you—”

Albus burst into the room, only seconds away from being marked late. Immediately, he frowned when he noticed Rose and Scorpius talking in the back of the room. Rose stood, and when she looked back at Scorpius, she gave him a knowing smile. 

“Hey, Al,” she greeted as he walked over, moving out of his seat. “Bus. Albus.” 

Albus raised an eyebrow. “Hi, Rose,” he said slowly, shooting Scorpius a confused look.

“Could I talk to you after class?” she asked politely, her awkward, stiff demeanor coming back in full force. 

“Sure?” 

Rose nodded. “Great. Good luck with Quidditch, Scorpius. I can't wait to crush Slytherin in our next match.” 

Scorpius grinned back. “Oh, it’s on.” 

Rose looked quite pleased as she walked away, but Albus was more lost than ever. 

“What the hell was that?” he asked Scorpius sourly. 

Scorpius smiled up at him. “You’ll see.” 

“What, are you still pining after her?” Albus’ frown deepened. “Did she finally agree to go out with you?” 

Scorpius was taken aback by the harshness of his best friend’s words. He knew Albus was less than supportive of his crush on Rose, but he would’ve hypothetically expected a little more enthusiasm from a best friend who was supposed to care for his happiness.

“No, we’re past that. It’s nothing romantic, but I think we might be friends now.” 

“Oh.” Albus paused as he absorbed Scorpius’ words. A small smile tugged at his lips. “So you don’t like her anymore?” 

“Not romantically,” Scorpius assured him, ignoring the way his stomach lurched at the sheer relief in Albus’ voice. “I think she’d make a nice friend, though.” 

“Oh,” Albus repeated as he sunk down into his seat. “That’s...good,” he said unsurely. 

“And she’s not going to take your place if that’s what you’re worried about,” Scorpius knocked their shoulders together. “New friends are nice, but no one is _ever_ going to replace you.” 

Albus smiled, almost as pleased as Rose had been. “Good. I was getting worried you’d leave me behind.” 

He seemed chipper. Albus Potter seemed _chipper,_ all because Scorpius had said he wasn’t dating Rose.Scorpius didn’t know what to make of _that._

He rolled his eyes in fond exasperation. “You’re too special for that.” 

“You are too,” Albus said back, with such determination and care it made Scorpius feel light-headed. 

His smile never faded, not even during the eye-wateringly boring Charms lesson or when he gave Rose a reassuring thumbs-up as he left her to talk to Albus after class before running off to see if he could catch up with Mya. 

—

As Slytherin’s first match against Ravenclaw drew nearer and nearer, practices became more frequent and more strenuous. It didn’t matter how many times they ran the drills, how hard they practiced, their performance was never good enough to please Candice. As he practiced the Wronski Feint for the sixteenth time that night, Scorpius wondered why he had ever thought playing a sport for the house of ambition and determination had been a good idea. 

He expected his roommates to be fast asleep when he finally came in from the pitch, but Albus was still awake, lying on Scorpius’ bed, a book perched on his lap. Scorpius smiled. Seeing that Albus had waited for him made his exhaustion seem a little more tolerable. 

He dropped his bag of sweaty Quidditch robes and crashed face-first next to Albus on the bed. 

Albus snorted and set his book onto Scorpius’ nightstand. “Hello to you, too.”

“Too tired for greetings, been practicing all afternoon,” Scorpius complained, voice muffled against the bed. 

“Then you’ll definitely win against Ravenclaw,” said Albus. 

He ran a hand through Scorpius’ hair, gently working through the knots. Scorpius sighed in content, leaning into his touch. He wasn’t sure why Albus was bothering, his hair was a sweaty, disheveled mess, but it felt nice, especially when Albus’ nails gently scratched against his scalp. His eyes grew heavier as the tension seeped out of him. 

“Sorry, I’ll let you go to sleep,” Albus said, pulling away. “I just wanted to see you again before I went to bed.” 

Scorpius’ hand flew up to catch Albus’ to stop it from drifting too far away. He turned to watch his best friend.

“Stay,” he whispered before he could stop himself. 

Albus hesitated. “Do you want me to?”

Scorpius nodded, terrified of Albus’ answer but too tired to approach the issue with his usual caution.

“Please. You—you make me feel safe,” he confessed. 

Albus’ eyes widened, his cheeks turning an unfairly attractive shade of Weasley red, and Scorpius’ stomach dropped. Had he overstepped over their unspoken boundaries? 

Before he could quickly jump to apologize and try to salvage what was left of the moment, Albus took a deep breath and nodded. 

“Okay,” he whispered back, and when they crawled into bed together, it was the opposite of the night before. 

They settled under the comforter, face to face but on opposite sides of the bed with plenty ( _too much,_ if you asked Scorpius) of space between them. The silence stretched out, thick and heavy with feelings left unsaid. Scorpius was about to apologize for overstepping when Albus hesitantly reached out and took Scorpius’ hand. 

Scorpius’ chest fluttered with admiration. He studied Albus’ face carefully, searching for a clue to something he didn’t know. 

“I think the contact helped me sleep better last night,” Albus explained with a dismissive shrug of his shoulders, and Scorpius didn’t press. He shifted closer to Albus and let his head rest next to their hands, forehead brushing ever so slightly against Albus’ fingers. 

He was seconds away from drifting off when Albus spoke again. 

“Can you—” he swore under his breath. “Never mind.” 

Scorpius opened his eyes again, squinting in the darkness to make out the outline of Albus’ face. “No, tell me.” 

“It’s dumb,” Albus insisted. 

“I promise you it won’t be,” Scorpius assured him, squeezing his hand. 

“Do you think we could hug?” Albus’ voice was so small, so uncertain, it made Scorpius’ heart ache. 

Scorpius blinked. He was _definitely_ awake now. 

He must have taken too long to answer because he heard Albus groan and turn around in the darkness, letting go of Scorpius’ hand. 

“I’m sorry. I told you it was stupid.” 

“It’s not!” Scorpius quickly reassured him. He awkwardly tried to wrap his arms around Albus’ torso. “I’m just...not quite sure how to hug you when we’re like this.”

Was it just supposed to be a one-armed hug, or was he supposed to slide his arm underneath Albus’ body? Either way, it didn’t seem very comfortable. 

Albus let out an amused huff of laughter and wiggled back closer to Scorpius until his back was pressed firmly against Scorpius’ chest. He pulled Scorpius’ arm across his body, letting his hand rest on his chest, above his heart, like he had the night before. 

“Like this,” Albus whispered, leaving his hand up to rest on top of Scorpius’. Scorpius' breath hitched.

Spooning—they were _spooning_!

“Great, uh, whizzo!” Scorpius cried, a little too loudly for how late it was. He prayed he hadn’t woken up any of their roommates. 

_Against him,_ Albus huffed in amusement. “Go to sleep.”

Scorpius wasn’t about to argue. 

It was a lot, even for best friends, and for once, Scorpius allowed himself to consider if Albus’ feelings could run deeper than friendship. It was a foolish thought, one he would normally have scoffed at himself for, but with Albus pressed so tightly against him that their heartbeats became indistinguishable, it seemed even the slightest bit plausible. 

When Scorpius drifted off, their hands still interlocked and pleasant images of going on Hogsmeade dates and kissing Albus’ freckles filling his mind, no nightmares ever came. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My bias for writing soft, cuddley Scorbus is really showing huh
> 
> Also Scorpius and Rose are peak wlw & mlm solidarity, pry it from my cold dead hands 
> 
> Anyways I can’t believe there’s only two chapters of this fic left, it feels like I just started writing it yesterday 
> 
> Come bother me on [tumblr](https://hyperiius.tumblr.com/)


	5. People can change

“Everyone always overlooks Ravenclaw because they think they care more about grades than sports, but I assure you, Ravenclaw kicks absolute arse on the Quidditch field. We lost to them twice last year. Everyone needs to be on their A-game today.” 

Scorpius’ fingers shook as he pulled on his shin guards. He tried to pay attention to what he thought was supposed to be Candice’s version of a pep talk, but his mind kept spiraling. 

“Absolutely no cheating. No playing dirty. No sly underhand tactics. I don’t care what you’ve heard about the Slytherin team in the past, if you want to keep your spot on this team, _you_ _will_ _not_ _cheat_.” 

To Scorpius’ right, Eliana raised her hand in a mock salute. “Aye aye, Captain!” 

“ _Especially_ you, Flint.” 

“You wound me, Candie!” she said, clutching her heart and falling dramatically into a less-than-pleased Brutus’ arms. 

Candice shot her down with a cool glare. 

“Remember the strategies and formations we used during practices,” she told the group. “Chasers especially, make sure to utilize your teammates. We all want the glory of being the one to score the goal, but I’ve seen too many steals that could have been avoided if someone had just passed the damn Quaffle.” 

Scorpius could barely pull on his gloves, his fingers shook so badly. 

“Beaters especially, you can try to intimidate them all you want, but _only_ by using your skills and size." She glared again at Eliana. “And please keep an extra eye out on any Bludgers going near Corner, we can’t afford to have him out on concussion leave this season.” 

“Hey! I got hit once. _Once!”_ Clarke protested. 

“And it cost you participation in two of our biggest games,” Candice said, unimpressed. She ignored his feeble arguing and turned to Scorpius. “Malfoy.” 

Scorpius almost dropped his broom as he quickly jumped up from the bench. He ignored Eliana’s muffled laugh. “Yes?”

Candice looked faintly amused. “I’m not worried about you not catching the Snitch, but try to keep an ear out for the score. If catching the Snitch would make us lose, remember to do a fake dive on the other side of the pitch to distract the other Seeker while we try to score more goals. Unless we’re having our asses handed to us, then end the game.” 

He nodded. She sounded so convinced that he could handle it, but even Candice Chang’s confidence did little to soothe his nerves. 

“You’ll do fine, Malfoy,” she assured him with a small smile. 

He didn’t feel fine. He was certain he was going to pass out the second they stepped out onto the pitch. 

“You’re never this encouraging to me,” Clarke said, crossing his arms. 

“I don’t yell at players who actually do what they’re told,” Candice said simply, smoothing her robes and summoning her broom. “But it _is_ our first game, if it doesn’t go well, it’s okay. We’ll have plenty more chances to crush Ravenclaw," she added, glancing at the other fifth years. 

From his corner on the far side of the room, Drystan Goyle, another Chaser and someone who seemed so strangely adamant to separate himself from a team he had voluntarily committed to, simply grunted in acknowledgment. To Scorpius’ left, Mya nodded eagerly. Scorpius envied her. She seemed so at ease, like none of the stress of going out to play in their first-ever Quidditch game right in front of _all of Hogwarts_ was getting to her. 

Candice checked her Muggle wristwatch and grinned. “Game time. Let’s head out.” 

The feeling of watching Quidditch from the stands was nothing compared to the sheer rush of adrenaline Scorpius felt as he stepped out onto the pitch. He was surrounded by a screaming sea of blue, silver, and green, students of all houses cheering as the teams walked out onto the pitch. The shrieking noise of the crowd did little to help Scorpius’ anxiety, but he took solace in knowing that his father, Albus, and Lily were watching from the stands. 

He hoped he wouldn’t embarrass himself in front of them. He couldn’t imagine anything worse—except maybe swallowing and choking on the Snitch. He’d made a point of never holding the Snitch too close to his face after Albus had told him the story of his father’s first game. 

Each member of the teams was being introduced by the game’s commentator, Fred Weasley. Scorpius’ chest swelled with happiness when his own name was called and his house cheered with pride. 

He was broken from his stupor when someone’s shoulder knocked against his. 

“Break a leg out there!” Mya squealed, practically bouncing with excitement. 

“ _Excuse_ _me_?”

“What?” Her eyes widened in realization. “Oh! Of course, you wouldn’t know what that means. Sorry, it’s a Muggle phrase. It means good luck— _not_ get injured.” 

Before Scorpius could question just how _odd_ Muggles were, Fred was yelling “Brooms up!” and everyone was kicking off into the sky. 

For late September, it was an unusually ideal day for Quidditch. There was no wind to derail their brooms, and the sun was hidden behind a large cluster of fluffy white clouds, posing no problems to the players’ visibility. Optimal conditions for flying, sure, but Scorpius didn’t doubt that he would still mess up and crash his broom even with the perfect weather. 

Before the game started and he wouldn’t have a chance to, he looked into the stands to find Lily and Albus, but they were lost in the mess of people. His dad was much more recognizable. Scorpius could clearly see the posh black robes, worn Slytherin scarf (which made Scorpius feel giddy with childlike glee), and perfectly styled blond hair of his father sitting in the top corner of the visitor stands. It took all of Scorpius’ self-control not to wave or yell out to him. 

Seeing his dad, knowing both his friends and future competitors were watching—it filled Scorpius with a new kind of determination to prove himself and make those who had been kind enough to support him proud _._

“The balls are being tossed into the air—and they’re off!” Fred cried over the cheering of the crowd as the game started. “Immediate possession of the Quaffle by Ravenclaw’s own team Captain, Aanya Patil! She tries to take off down the field, but is stopped by Slytherin’s defense.” 

With the Snitch nowhere to be found, Scorpius had nothing to do but fly slowly around the pitch and keep an eye out for the telltale glint of gold. Above him, both teams’ Chasers clashed, fighting for possession of the Quaffle. Scorpius silently prayed that the Snitch wouldn’t fly into the chaos. He didn’t have enough Gryffindor courage in him to fly into that mess of brooms and robes. 

“Slytherin Chasers Clarke Corner and Drystan Goyle attempt an intersection but fail and Patil takes a shot—and it’s successfully blocked by Candice Chang!” 

Scorpius watched an overexcited Clarke high five a begrudging Candice before he quickly looked back out to the rest of the pitch. He couldn’t allow himself to get distracted. If he was even a second off, it could cost Slytherin their victory. 

Across the pitch, Evelyn Thomas-Finnigan, Ravenclaw’s Seeker, seemed as adamant as he was about staying focused. She combed through the stands and players, not even glancing up to check on her team. She hadn’t seemed to find anything yet either, though. Scorpius sighed in relief. 

“Chang-Seven—that’s what we call Slytherin’s Captain if you’re new—passes to Chang-Five, and off she goes down the field at an _astounding_ speed. It seems she really did earn her position on Slytherin's team!”

Scorpius did look up to watch Mya tear down the pitch, Ravenclaw’s Chasers a good three lengths behind her. He fought down to the urge to yell after them that there was no point in even trying to catch up. He’d seen Mya’s impressive Quidditch skills first hand during practice, there was rarely a goal she didn’t score. 

“We wonder who Professor Chang is really rooting for—her own house, or her daughters.” 

Around him, the crowd let out a roaring cheer. Ravenclaw started to chant their house name while Slytherin booed back. 

“Neither Seeker seems to have found the Snitch yet, but first-time player Scorpius Malfoy is circling the pitch, while Thomas-Finnigan—Chang-Five scores the first goal of the match! Ten points to Slytherin!” 

Green scarves and flags flew into the air as the Slytherin stands burst into cheer. 

“Yes!” Scorpius yelled alongside his classmates as Mya looped victoriously around the pitch. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed one of the Ravenclaw Beaters slowly edging closer to him. When he turned to look, the towering sixth year hit a Bludger at him at full force. 

Scorpius barely had enough time to duck his broom, almost losing his balance in his haste to move away, when Eliana swooped in from below, bat at the ready. 

Fred gasped. “Sebastian Selwyn sends an almost bat-shattering hit straight at Malfoy, but Eliana Flint intercepts and slaps the Bludger back to Ravenclaw’s other Beater, Carson Edgecombe.” 

Eliana looked livid as she glared at Selwyn. He twirled his bat dismissively, almost disappointed that the hit hadn’t landed. 

“Keep your head up and eyes open, Malfoy. He’s bad news,” Eliana yelled back to him, eyes never leaving Selwyn. 

He nodded, but he didn’t miss the way both Eliana and Brutus stayed much closer to him than before as he dropped closer to the ground. He was thankful for their protection. There was something that rubbed Scorpius the wrong way, something that made his skin crawl and blood turn cold as ice, about Sebastian Selwyn’s amused smile and perusing eyes that followed him around the pitch, not once turning away—even when he had a clear chance to stop Mya from scoring again. 

“Despite Lucas Parkin’s best efforts, Clarke Corner manages to sneak in another goal, placing Slytherin firmly in the lead with thirty points!” 

Circling the pitch seemed to do nothing to help find the Snitch, and Scorpius was growing more and more frustrated as he swooped higher into the air. At least Evelyn still hadn’t seemed to have found anything either. 

“Another first time player from Slytherin, Drystan Goyle, scores another ten points with an assist from Chang-Five, but Patil’s back in possession!” 

Scorpius stopped his broom just in time to keep from colliding with Aanya as she barreled past him, dodging one of Brutus’ Bludgers with expert ease and heading straight for Candice. 

“She makes to score again but—oh!”

Candice threw herself in front of the shot. She looked slightly winded as the Quaffle slammed into her chest, but she caught it firmly in her hands and threw it back to her sister. 

Fred whooped in delight. “An amazing block from Candice Chang! _Terrific_ defense from Slytherin! Chang-Five comes speeding down the pitch again and just as she’s about to go for the shot, Parkin and Macmillan flank her and—ouch!—Patil rams into her! Oh, the good old Parkin’s Pincer. That’s definitely going to leave some bruises.” 

Scorpius winced as Mya was nearly knocked from her broom. She swore—loudly and crudely enough to make even Albus or James blush—as she tried to regain her balance. Scowling, she took off after the Ravenclaw Chasers, who had already reached the other end of the pitch. 

“In a bold move by Macmillan and Parkin, they use the Hawkshead Attack Formation as they fly up the pitch. Corner and Goyle are forced to allow them a scoring opportunity, and...Parkin makes it! Ravenclaw is finally making a comeback!” 

The Ravenclaws erupted into cheer as the Slytherins yelled back, “Ravenclaw can try, but they can’t outfly! We’re Slytherin, we always win!” 

Scorpius smiled to himself as he pictured Albus, probably lost and completely confused as to what was going on, being forced by Lily to sing along. 

He didn’t have long to savor in the encouragement before another Bludger came hurtling at him. 

“Flint sends a well-aimed Bludger careening towards Patil as she tries to snag the Quaffle back, but it’s deflected by Selwyn and hit _again_ right back towards Malfoy. Brutus Nott manages to deflect it in time, but such a brutal hit could have crushed a broom—or some bones.” 

Brutus flew down and directly inserted himself between Scorpius and Selwyn, holding his bat out in warning, but Selwyn didn’t seem to be deterred. 

Scorpius flew closer to the middle of the pitch, where all the Chasers were fighting again for the Quaffle, in hopes that Selwyn wouldn’t aim at him again if it might endanger one of his own teammates. But as Scorpius watched Selwyn weave through the stands to try to lose Brutus—who still trailed closely behind—he wasn’t sure that Selwyn would actually care about anyone else’s, even his own teammates, safety. 

“Still no signs that either of the Seekers has found the Snitch, but— _OH_! Thomas-Finnigan makes a mad dash across the field! Is it a dupe to trick Malfoy, or has she genuinely spotted the Golden Snitch?” 

Fred’s voice called Scorpius’ attention back to the game. His blood went cold as he watched Evelyn take off flying towards the opposite end of the pitch. He paused, trying to see where she was going. For a moment, he almost didn’t chase after her, certain it was a trap, but then he caught sight of it: a flash of gold and silver, near the Slytherin goal posts. 

Scorpius shot after her. 

“Malfoy takes off after her! Both have eyes on the Snitch—so early in the game, too!” 

He rounded the pitch, gaining ground fast as he chased after Thomas-Finnigan. He could make out the Snitch now, flying in front of Evelyn’s outstretched hand. She was close, but still far enough for him to still have time. He pressed himself down flat against his broom, willing it to go faster.

“Thomas-Finnigan reaches out—but the Snitch quickly drops and Malfoy takes the lead.” 

His arm was stretched as far as it could reach, but the Snitch still twisted out of his grasp, just barely out of reach. 

“Corner sneaks in while everyone’s distracted and scores _another_ ten points for Slytherin. They’re up to fifty points now, but if Malfoy doesn’t catch the snitch, it’ll be useless!” 

Evelyn was next to him now, seconds away from passing him and catching the Snitch herself. She tried to shove him away, but Scorpius stood his ground. 

He had to catch the Snitch. He _had_ to. 

_Faster._

He could feel the pressure of the entire team’s victory riding on his shoulders as his legs tightened around his broom and he edged forward. 

The Snitch’s wings fluttered against his fingertips. He was _so close_ to catching it. 

_Faster!_

The Snitch was almost in his grasp when someone screamed his name in terror. 

Scorpius turned and watched in horror as Eliana’s bat barely missed the Bludger Selwyn had hit hurtling his way. 

He tried to jerk his broom up, move out of the way, but it was too late. 

The sickening _crack_ and gasps of shock echoed across the pitch as the Bludger slammed into Scorpius’ side, knocking him clean off his broom and sending him spiraling towards the ground below. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspiration for the Slytherin Quidditch chant [here](https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.reddit.com/r/harrypotter/comments/chxtq3/slytherin_team_chants/)
> 
> I hate sports, especially writing sports, why the fuck did I put Scorpius on the Quidditch team
> 
> I never realized how much I absolutely love Albus until I had to write a chapter without him. I’m never doing that again. 
> 
> I promise there’ll actually be Scorbus content in next week’s update (spoilers: they might kiss too) 
> 
> Come bother me on [tumblr](https://hyperiius.tumblr.com/)


	6. And for always, I chose you

When Scorpius came to hours later, he was assaulted by the pungent stench of Healing Potions and Cleaning Charms. He didn’t need to open his eyes to know he was in the hospital wing. 

Every bone in his body hurt. It felt like he’d been shoved and dragged down each of the marble staircases in the Great Hall. He had a pounding headache, made worse by the bright sunlight streaming in through the windows of the room, but he was _awake._ He’d take a dozen broken bones and a painful migraine over dying. 

Someone had his hand in a death grip. 

When he managed to open his eyes, his vision was blurry. Even blinking hurt. The first thing he saw was Albus, sitting stiffly in a chair at his bedside, wound tighter than an old-fashioned Muggle toy. For the one whose body was still intact, Albus looked worse than Scorpius felt. He couldn’t have been out for longer than a few hours, a day at most, but Albus looked exhausted, more so than he had when they’d last seen each other before the game. He kept moving: clenching and unclenching his jaw, darting his eyes between the window and the clock across the room, gripping Scorpius’ hand tighter and tighter until it felt like his fingers had bruised. The rapid tapping of Albus' foot against the floor echoed in the uncomfortable silence of the infirmary. 

“Al.” Scorpius’ voice was barely more than a whisper, horribly slurred from the pain potions, but it was enough to tear Albus away from the window. 

“Scor?” He let go of Scorpius’ hand in favor of throwing himself at his best friend. “Merlin _,_ you’re awake.” 

Scorpius tried to hug Albus back, but his right arm _ached_ in disagreement and he decided it’d be best to just let it rest awkwardly at his side. Besides them, someone cleared their throat and Albus seemed to come back to his senses. He pulled away. 

“I’m sorry, did I hurt you?” His eyes scanned over Scorpius’ body in frantic worry. 

Scorpius was too tired and in pain to think of anything witty. “No, you’re good.” 

“You broke several bones. Madam Pomfrey had to give you Skele-Gro,” another familiar voice chimed in. 

His father sat on his other side, tense and nervous in a way that Scorpius hadn’t seen since that last fateful summer at St Mungo’s. Madam Pomfrey came bustling over, arms full of different potions. 

“How long was I out?” he asked, his voice slowly starting to grow clearer. 

“Almost a day. I’m sure the Skele-Gro has started to work by now,” Madam Pomfrey said as she made quick work of inspecting his injuries. 

Scorpius hissed in pain as she tried to move his arm. She smiled sympathetically but didn’t stop. Albus and his father watched on with a kind of concern that Scorpius thought was far too dramatic for a simple Quidditch injury but didn’t appreciate any less. 

“Did we lose the match?” he asked through gritted teeth. 

“Of course that’s what you’re concerned about.” His father gave him a wry smile. “The game ended after you fell, but there was talk of a rematch.” 

“Oh, but you aren’t getting back on a broom for at least another week, and that’s only once all your bones grow back,” Madam Pomfrey cut in as she held another potion to Scorpius’ lips. He fought to keep it down. It tasted positively vile: sharp and bitter—almost like his dad’s poor attempts at cooking. 

When Madam Pomfrey moved away, Albus made to reach for Scorpius’ hand again, but he stopped halfway. He looked up at Scorpius, silently asking for permission, and despite the dull ache in his cheek, Scorpius smiled. Or, he tried to. He wasn’t sure it was convincing but combined with the pathetic attempt at wiggling his fingers, it was enough incentive to make Albus take his hand again. 

Albus’ hold was much gentler than before but no less caring. His steady presence by Scorpius’ side felt as grounding now as it did when he woke up sobbing from his nightmares. 

“You’ll be staying the night, of course, most likely tomorrow as well,” Madam Pomfrey said as she cast a selection of Healing Charms over Scorpius. “Give those bones time to set once they regrow, and no strenuous physical activities afterward.” 

Scorpius tried to nod, but his head felt made of stone. Whatever potion she had given him before had replaced the stinging pain with a dull sense of weary exhaustion he was eager to sleep off. It wasn’t as if he had anything else to do. If reaching for Albus’ hand was too difficult, he wouldn’t fare much better trying to hold up a book. 

He fell asleep listening to Madam Pomfrey urging Albus and his dad to leave the Hospital Wing to at least get some dinner now that they knew Scorpius was awake.

Albus never moved and his hand never let go. 

—

It was _boring_ being injured. 

The first day was the worst. Too distracted by the pain of regrowing his bones to have any kind of decent conversation and too weak to hold up a book, all Scorpius could do was sleep to pass the time, but his nightmares hadn’t stopped because he was injured. If anything, they were worse. Every time he closed his eyes, he was forced to relive the painful memory of hitting the ground as the stands around him erupted into screams. 

Albus made being startled awake tolerable. He held Scorpius’ hand and helped him through breathing exercises until he calmed down, but even Albus had to leave the infirmary at curfew, and sleeping became more painful than staying awake. It hurt but watching the sunrise and the sky slowly color was better than reliving falling off his broom over and over again. 

The second day was better. Most of the bones in his left arm had grown back, and the stinging pain in his ribs had dulled. It still hurt to move, but he could at least listen dutifully as Albus read _Hogwarts: A History_ aloud. 

His father reluctantly went back to the Manor on the second day—but only after Madam Pomfrey, sick of his nagging, had threatened to Apparate him back herself. Draco had made Scorpius promise to write to him a detailed report of his recovery every day for the next week, which Scorpius would have gladly done, had he been able to pick up and write anything legible with a quill. To his credit, Albus had done his best to keep the teasing to a minimum when he’d had to act Scorpius’ personal scribe, but Scorpius had never wanted to hit him more (with a pillow—or a bag of sweets. Something soft. He would never actually hurt his best friend.)

Albus never left Scorpius’ side, not if he could help it. Though he never mentioned it, Scorpius knew that the fall had shaken Albus. It showed in the way he’d bitten the skin around his nails bloody, or the purple under his eyes that only grew darker the longer Scorpius stayed in the hospital wing, or how he would check Scorpius’ wrist for a pulse every time he thought he was asleep.   
  
Scorpius always made sure to hold Albus a little tighter before he was forced back to their dorm at curfew. 

The moments without Albus were the worst. Scorpius would never make his friend put his life on standby, especially for a simple Quidditch accident, but Scorpius missed him terribly whenever he was away. 

He’d tried to practice magic to pass the time, but it was hard to make precise swishes and flicks with the shaking in his hands, and after he almost singed off his eyebrow, Madam Pomfrey ordered him to stop. 

He was alone in the hospital wing with nothing to do but stare out windows and think, and nothing good ever happened when Scorpius Malfoy was left alone to overthink for too long. 

He’d never wanted to be out flying or reading in the common room with Albus more. 

His reprieve came when Albus snuck in during lunch on the fourth day, Mya and Lily in tow. 

Like her brother, Lily didn’t hesitate to wrap him into a tight, almost painful hug as soon as she saw him. Behind her, Albus rolled his eyes and mouthed ‘sorry,’ but Scorpius just smiled back, maybe enjoying the extra attention a little too much. 

“I think I broke more than a leg,” Scorpius tried to joke as Mya dragged up an extra stool to his bed. 

She gasped. “That is _not_ what I meant!”

“Are you feeling better?” asked Albus.

“A bit.” Scorpius tried to sit up. Mya flinched at the gross cracking of his bones. 

“Your hand feeling better, too?” Lily asked innocently as she watched Albus reach to take Scorpius’ hand again.

Albus turned a bright shade of Weasley red and flipped his sister off, but he still took Scorpius’ hand, their friends be damned. Scorpius tried to ignore the fluttery, pleased feeling in his chest, or the gentle way Albus subconsciously ran his thumb over his knuckles. 

Lily made herself comfortable on the end of his bed, though she was careful not to hurt him.

“Look who I brought!” she said, pulling two pink and purple piles of fluff from her front pockets. 

Scorpius smiled as Lily placed an overexcited Tilda on his shoulder. 

“Hi, love, I missed you.” Scorpius cooed, petting the top of his Pygmy’s head as gently as he could. The puff squealed in delight, nuzzling into his neck. “Have you been feeding her?” he looked over at Albus, who he could’ve sworn was shades redder than before. 

Albus shook his head. “Lily’s been insisting on doing it herself.” 

“I don’t trust Albus,” Lily said as she handed Arny over to an overjoyed Mya. “He’d shave them and use their fur in some weird potions experiment.” 

Scorpius, to his rib’s dismay, burst out laughing. 

“Oi! Care for Magical Creatures is one of my best classes!” Albus argued.

“Being good with Blast-Ended Skrewts doesn’t make you good with Pygmy Puffs—which you have already proven not to be.” 

“Arny is fine! He barely blinked when I dropped him!”

“But you _did_ drop him!”

 _“Once_!”

“Just focus on taking care of Scorpius, and I’ll take care of the Pygmies,” Lily said with the same kind of patience usually reserved for bratty children. Her smile became uncharacteristically soft as she watched Mya play with her puff. 

Mya and Lily exchanged a look that Scorpius did not trust. 

“So, Mya, how’s practice?” he asked, pointedly ignoring Lily’s smirk. 

“Tiring. Candice still has a stick up her arse, but we’re all twice as determined to crush Ravenclaw now. Bastards can’t get away unscathed after hurting our teammate.” She smiled as Arny tangled himself in the ends of her hair. “We all miss you. The team tried to visit after practice the other day, but you were asleep and Madam Pomfrey kicked us out for making too much of a racket. Clarke spilled a potion everywhere too. He’s banned from coming back unless he actually needs medical attention.” 

At the mention of Candice, Scorpius’ smile dropped. 

“Is Candice angry that I lost us the game?” 

He tried to ignore the guilt stirring in his gut as the light-hearted atmosphere quickly dampened and his friends’ eyes filled with worry. 

“What?” Mya’s eyebrows knit together in concern. “Scorpius, no, this isn’t your fault. Candice isn’t angry. No one on the team is. Well—not at _you_. They’d all certainly like to take a go at hexing Selwyn. You were doing great on Saturday, could have even given the old Seeker a run for their money. If anything, Candice is proud.” 

“I didn’t catch the Snitch, though,” Scorpius pointed out miserably with a self-deprecating laugh. 

“You would have if it weren’t for that cack-handed bastard—”

“Lily!” 

“Shut up, Albus!” She rolled her eyes. “You were doing great, Scorpius, you’ll catch the Snitch next time.” 

“Exactly! Plus, now we have more time to practice and another chance to win,” Mya said encouragingly. Scorpius smiled back weakly. 

“Do you know what happened to Selwyn?” Albus asked. He didn’t even try to hide the resentful anger in his voice. 

“Seventy points were taken from Ravenclaw and he’s been suspended from the next few games.” Mya’s lips pressed together in a tight line. “Personally, I think he deserves to be kicked off the team permanently for what he did, but he’s claiming it was an accident, and there’s not much they can do to prove him wrong...” 

“Accident my arse,” Albus scoffed, and Lily nodded in agreement. 

“I’m sure he didn’t mean to hit me. He probably just wanted to knock me off the Snitch’s trail,” Scorpius tried to argue. 

Mya gave him a skeptical look. “Has he come to apologize?” 

“Well...no—but still.”

He didn’t want to think of the alternative, that someone he’d never even met would go out of their way to hurt him so cruelly, but the Bludger had been aimed straight at him. He couldn’t understand why. Sebastian Selwyn was a former Death Eater’s kid himself, constantly judged for his parent’s mistakes. If anyone could be slightly sympathetic towards Scorpius, it should be him. 

He swallowed hard and tried to shove away his rising fear. He shrunk into himself, wrapping the thin sheets of the hospital bed tighter around himself. As if she could sense his hurt, Tilda squeaked and nosed at his cheek. Despite himself, Scorpius smiled and turned his head to press a quick kiss to her bubblegum pink fur. 

“You’re too nice, Scorpius.” Lily patted him on the knee, far softer than she normally would. “I’m going to Bat-Bogey Hex Selwyn until he faints if he ever tries anything like that again. I’ve gotten quite good at that spell. Even Mum was impressed last time I used it on Al and James.” 

Albus glowered at his sister. “Yeah, and you got grounded for a month.” 

“It was worth it,” she waved her wand tauntingly in front of him, but when Albus went to grab it, she shrieked and pulled it away. 

Lily raised her wand again, about to demonstrate her skill, but Mya quickly pushed her arm down.

“Shall we play Exploding Snap?” she asked as placatingly as she could. “I brought a deck with me.”

Scorpius wasn’t sure how much good it would actually do to diffuse the situation. Ginny Potter had certainly passed down her skill at Exploding Snap to her children, and Lily was possibly the most competitive person Scorpius had ever met, but he welcomed the distraction and chance to spend time with his friends rather than try to sleep the afternoon away. 

It felt good to genuinely laugh and smile again as he watched Albus narrowly avoid losing an eyebrow and Lily almost singe off her bangs. 

— 

The familiar washed-out green of the Slytherin dormitories had never felt as welcoming as it did Scorpius’ first night back. It was like being a first year all over again, although he felt less like crying and Albus had smiled more in the last ten minutes than he had during the entirety of their first year. 

“You’ve been gone five days, relax.” Albus tried, and failed, to frown as Scorpius flopped down dramatically onto his bed. 

“You don’t understand, Albus,” he argued as he patted the spot next to him. “It was so _boring_ in the infirmary.” 

“And that’s why I don’t play Quidditch,” Albus said, plopping down next to Scorpius. “Can’t get injured if you’re just in the stands. 

That was entirely false, but Scorpius decided to overlook it. He narrowed his eyes in mock suspicion. “Is that the only reason why?” 

“Sod off.” For a moment, Scorpius worried he had overstepped a boundary. Albus was by no means an untalented wizard; his days as the Slytherin Squib were firmly behind him, but he was still far from being the top of their class and incredibly prickly about his magic abilities, especially when it came to flying. Scorpius didn’t know if he’d even tried to pick up a broom again since their first year. Albus’ strengths lay in Potions and Care of Magical Creatures, both classes no less important than Charms or Transfiguration, but required far less prowess with a wand and taught firmly on the ground—although Scorpius would argue that Potions, especially with someone as experimental as Albus, was no more safe than a game of Quidditch against Gryffindor. 

Albus softly knocked their shoulders together, silently assuring him that it was okay and breaking Scorpius out of his thoughts. 

“We should do something to celebrate you... _you know_...not dying.” He tried to act casual, indifferent to Scorpius’ answer, but Scorpius could see the way Albus was nervously picking at a loose thread on his jumper. 

“Well, I was planning on working on the Charms essay that I forgot to finish before the match,” Scorpius said slowly. He’d honestly just wanted to have a quiet evening spent studying with Albus in the common room, and maybe a bit of cuddling on the couch too if he was lucky. 

“Don’t bother, I already told you you can copy mine.” Albus sighed, exasperated. Scorpius nodded, but before he could ask for the paper, Albus had already moved on. “We should do something _exciting.”_

Scorpius raised an eyebrow. “Like what?” 

“How about we go on an adventure?” 

“I thought we’d learned our lesson last year with adventures,” Scorpius tried to reason, but he knew it was too late. He could see Albus’ eyes light up with the same fiery passion they had on the Hogwarts Express the previous year, and Scorpius knew he was screwed _._ Even if Albus suggested opening the Chamber of Secrets again and resurrecting the corpse of Salazar Slytherin himself, Scorpius would willingly go with him to do it. He was too far gone to care about the specifics: if Albus went, he’d go, too. 

“Nothing related to time travel, and I don’t _think_ it’ll kill us,” Albus paused and considered it, and took too long before nodding again, which did nothing to help soothe Scorpius’ nerves. “But we should explore the castle! We haven’t done that in a while.” 

Scorpius blinked once. Twice. Albus’ smile fell after the third time. “That’s it?” 

“Shut up, it’s exciting. There’s this place that my dad told me about that I really want to visit, and I think I may have a good idea of where it is.” 

“What is it?” 

“It’s a surprise.”

“Albus.” 

He sighed, snapping the loose thread off his sleeve. “Do you trust me?” 

Scorpius wasn’t going to lie. Not about that. “Always.” 

“And you’re well enough to walk?” 

“ _Yes._ ”

“Good.” Albus _beamed,_ and Scorpius was _done for._ “After you get back from your prefect rounds and everyone else has gone to bed, we’ll sneak out with the Invisibility Cloak.” 

“You still haven’t given that back to James?” 

From the look on Albus’ face, Scorpius knew James might never get his Cloak back. 

— 

“Are you sure you know where you’re going?” 

“Yes.” 

“Really? Because it feels like we’re lost.” 

“Just trust me.” 

Although there was a certain thrill to sneaking around the hallways at night, even aimlessly and struggling to keep themselves both under the Invisibility Cloak, Scorpius was getting fed up with walking down corridors that he was certain they’d passed before in their search to only Albus knew where. 

They meandered around a little longer before Albus dashed off into another one of the rooms, leaving a petulant Scorpius to stand guard in the hall for Filch and Mrs. Norris. 

He wasn’t familiar with this part of the castle. He hadn’t had any classes anywhere near here, but Albus seemed so confident and excited walking through the halls and peaking into the classrooms that Scorpius trusted his judgment, for better or for worse. At least they seemed to be alone. 

Albus stuck his head back out the door, grinning wildly and waving at Scorpius. “I found it! Come on!” 

And as he quickly followed Albus into the old classroom, Scorpius hoped that nothing as dangerous or disastrous as a Time-Turner lay inside. 

The room was covered in a thick layer of dust and cobwebs, with shelves full of old books and magical knick-knacks lining the walls. As fascinating as Scorpius would have normally found them, especially the books, he was distracted by the golden mirror placed in the center of the room. It was tilted at such an angle that he couldn’t see his reflection from the door, but Albus had already moved to look. He stared into the mirror, gobsmacked, his face a mix of shock, embarrassment, and something Scorpius could only describe as fervently pleased. He would have teased his friend for being so vain, but unease pricked up Scorpius’ spine as he watched Albus stare into the glass, completely enamored. He moved closer to make out the words carved into the mirror’s frame. 

_“Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi_ ,” Scorpius whispered. Memories of reading about the mirror in books came flooding back. “ _I show not your face but your heart's desire_ —Albus, we shouldn’t be here.” 

Albus didn’t move. 

“Albus, we should leave,” Scorpius tried again, pulling at his friend’s arm. This time, Albus blinked and turned away. His face was as pink as Tilda’s fur.

He shook his head, glancing back at the glass. “Have you looked?” 

“No. I’m scared to,” Scorpius confessed honestly as he hugged the bundled Invisibility Cloak tightly to his chest. 

“Don’t you want to know?” 

“I do, but…” His voice broke. He didn’t need to look in a mirror to know his heart’s deepest desire. “I don’t think I could handle it.” 

Albus reached out and took Scorpius’ hand in his. “You don’t have to look if you don’t want to. I won’t think it’s cowardly.” Albus’ thumb brushed lightly over his knuckles. “Or you can, just once, and never look again.” 

Scorpius nodded and wiped his nose on his nightshirt’s sleeve. “I’m going to look.” 

He summoned what little Gryffindor bravery he had, but all the courage in the world wouldn’t have prepared him for what he knew he would see. 

The dust-covered floor of the room melted away into dirt and gravel paths. Trees and flowers popped up around him, arranged like those at the Manor, all in the confines of the mirror’s glass. Even some of their peacocks appeared, loitering lazily around the gardens, just like they did back home. It filled Scorpius with a deep sense of want for the summer holidays, where he could spend hours doing nothing but read in the gardens. He watched as his true reflection faded and reappeared dressed in summer clothes beside the lavender bushes—next to his mother. He was helping her tend to the flowers, just like he’d done when he was younger. But they weren’t alone. Scorpius barely registered the Invisibility Cloak falling to the floor as he watched Albus laugh and talk with his mother, so open and carefree it was as if she were his own. His smile was so wide it _hurt_ as the Albus in the mirror offered him a flower, and when his counterpart accepted, leaned in to press a quick kiss to his cheek. Astoria had looked away to give the boys privacy, but Scorpius could see a knowing smile on his mother’s lips. His father, happy in the way he only had been when his wife was alive, materialized behind them, holding a large tray of drinks that he offered to the tired gardeners. 

It was too much for Scorpius. He turned away, tears falling from his eyes. 

“Are you okay?” Albus was by his side in an instant. “Fuck, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have egged you on—”

He gasped in surprise as Scorpius threw his arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug so tight Scorpius forgot how to properly breathe. 

“I’m fine, Albus,” Scorpius assured him. “Just overwhelmed, but in a good way.” 

“Oh.” Albus’ arms slowly wrapped around his waist. “Do you want to talk about it?” 

“Mum and I were tending to the flowers back home, like we did when I was younger, except this time you were there too and we were fifteen instead of six,” Scorpius babbled, perhaps too overzealously, as he leaned his head on Albus’ shoulder. He glossed over the flower and mirror-Albus’ peck on his cheek. “And then Dad came and brought us lemonade, and we were smiling and laughing and we looked so _happy,_ Al _._ ” 

Albus’ breath hitched. “That sounds wonderful,” he whispered, resting his head on Scorpius’ shoulder. There was a long, silent pause before Albus spoke again. “I wish I could’ve met her.” 

“She would’ve loved you—she _did_ love you, for being my friend. She was so happy to hear about you when I came home on holidays, and she always asked about how you were in her letters.” 

Albus held him tighter, his breathing growing so shaky Scorpius was worried he’d started to cry too. 

“And you?” Scorpius asked. He pulled away just enough to wipe his eyes. 

“What?” 

“Do you want to talk about your reflection?” 

“Oh.” Albus looked behind Scorpius at the mirror. “Sure—it’s not as emotional as yours, though. It’s just us.” 

Scorpius’ stomach flipped. “Is that good?” 

Albus’s smile was so full of adoration and care it made Scorpius want to cry all over again.

“How could it not be, when we both look so happy?” 

And in the faint moonlight seeping into the room, Albus looked beautiful. Scorpius watched him without shame, thanking Merlin for the lack of space between them so he could freely admire the freckles doting Albus’ nose and the small scars from years of roughhousing with James and Lily that he normally couldn’t see. Albus watched the mirror so happily, so _content_ , that Scorpius—high on the soppy feelings in his chest that he had been holding back for too long and something like reckless delusion—just had to say something. 

“I love you,” he whispered breathlessly, and though it immediately filled him with panic, he hadn’t felt so light in ages. 

Perhaps it was a bit strong to tell someone you loved them before you had even gone on a first date, but Scorpius had never been good at subtlety. It was bound to slip out anyway because he loved Albus. A lot. And if he could, he’d scream it from the Astronomy Tower for everyone to hear. 

Albus kept smiling, barely blinking at the revelation. “I love you, too.” 

Scorpius frowned. “No, I _love-_ love you. Romantically, not just as friends. As in I want to go on dates in Hogsmeade with you and hold your hand while we share a butterbeer and kiss you—” he broke off when Albus started to laugh. 

Blinking back tears, he began to pull away, his cheeks burning in embarrassment, but Albus grabbed his shoulders and pulled him close again. 

“I know, Scor. I _love-_ love you, too.” 

“Oh.” Scorpius blinked. He was glad that Albus was still holding him, or he was certain he would have fallen to the floor. “ _Oh.”_

Albus pressed a quick kiss to the tip of his nose, and Scorpius felt his heart _melt_. “Yeah.” 

“Since when?” he asked, completely gobsmacked. 

“Last year,” Albus answered, and paused. “But I think I’ve loved you for years, when we were too young for relationships and before I really understood what any of these feelings meant. It only really sunk in when I watched you ask out Rose. I realized that most people don’t normally get _that_ jealous at the idea of their best mate getting a girlfriend.” 

“I’m sorry,” Scorpius said. “I swear you’re not some sort of rebound or second choice because she never wanted to go out with me. I love _you._ I don’t even know if I ever even really liked Rose like that, looking back on it. I think I admired her for how strong and smart she is, and I still think she’s brilliant, but I don’t want to date her. I haven’t for a long time—since I finally came to terms with the fact that I want to date girls _and_ boys. Date you. Only you. I’m making an arse of myself but I really, _really_ like you, I don’t know if I’ve made that clear.” 

This time, Albus’ laughter made Scorpius’ chest swell with happiness.

“I know. I won’t lie, it hurt at the time, but, well,” he shyly took Scorpius’ hand, “I’m happy with how things ended up.” 

And because Scorpius had apparently lost all control of his mouth, he continued to ramble. “I love you. So much. Please don’t think for a second that I don’t, but I’m scared, Al.” 

Albus’ brow furrowed. “Of what?” 

“Of this. Us.” Scorpius gestured at their linked hands. “Of losing you especially. I love you, and I want to be your boyfriend more than anything else in the world, but what if this goes horribly wrong? I can’t lose you, Albus, I can’t.” 

“And you won’t,” Albus’ voice was firm, steady, and completely self-assured as he looked at Scorpius. “No matter what happens, even if this doesn’t work out, you won’t lose me.” 

“How can you be so sure?” 

“Because I don’t think there’s anything in the world that you could do to make me want to stop being your friend. Or, you know, your boyfriend,” he added bashfully. “And even if the romance doesn’t work out, I know that we’ll come back from it because we’re Albus and Scorpius. We’re each other’s person, and I’m not leaving. Ever. Unless you ask me to, but even then, I’d do it out of love.” 

“Promise?” he hated how infantile he sounded, but as much as he loved Albus—and Merlin he did; it _hurt_ how much he did—Scorpius wouldn’t risk their friendship for the world. 

“Always.” There was no hesitation in Albus’ voice as he pressed their foreheads together. “We’ll always be best friends, but that doesn’t mean we can’t also be something more.” 

“Boyfriends?” Scorpius asked incredulously, because _Albus Severus Potter_ was suggesting they could be something more than friends, and he felt both as lucky as if he had drunk pure Felix Felicis, and as terrified as he had jumping off the Hogwarts Express. 

“Boyfriends,” Albus confirmed happily before slowly closing the gap between them. 

It was barely a kiss, just a soft, tentative peck of lips to test the waters, but Scorpius had never felt anything more wonderful in his life. 

Albus pulled back to look at him, as if to ask _is this okay,_ and Scorpius made quick work of leaning in and kissing him again. This kiss was deeper; it felt completely different from before, and Scorpius couldn’t get enough. He had no idea what he was doing, but he was certain Albus didn’t either, and as he tangled his fingers in Albus’ messy black curls and let himself be kissed breathless by the boy who he’d endure the Cruciatus Curse for a hundred times more—his wonderfully complex and impatient and sarcastic _boyfriend—_ he couldn’t find it within himself to care about anything that wasn’t Albus Potter’s lips. 

When they both pulled away, flushed and breathless, Scorpius had never felt as deeply satisfied as he was watching Albus with his pink cheeks and kiss-swollen lips, knowing that it was _him,_ Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, to have made him look so beautifully disheveled. 

“I love you,” he repeated, giddy on the overwhelming feelings in his chest and the knowledge that he could say it as freely and as many times as he wanted to now, and maybe, hopefully, forever too. 

Albus laced their fingers together again and pressed a chaste kiss to Scorpius’ lips. 

“I love you, too.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh I can’t believe this fic is finally all posted! I hope that everyone liked it and that the ending was satisfying. I usually hate writing love confessions/kiss scenes, but I had a lot of fun with this one. It’s cheesy, but it’s Scorbus and they’re the softest babies ever so I think that’s okay 
> 
> I’ve already started working on the sequel (it’s probably going to be called Blithely) but I have no idea when it’s going to be done as it’s much longer than Cordiality. It’s more plot heavy too. I’ve also started working on a Titanic Drastoria au too, because my dumbass brain doesn’t know how to stop creating new wips 
> 
> Anyways, I hope everyone enjoyed reading this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you so much for reading <33
> 
> Come bother me on [tumblr!](https://hyperiius.tumblr.com/)


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